Optical circuit switch with integral circulators

• US 9,366,824 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2015
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Calient AI Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CALIENT Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Yuan, Shifu, Luo, Nan, Ma, Changbao
• Primary Examiner(s): LEPISTO, RYAN A
• Application Number:
  US14/705,746
• Publication Number:
  US 20150355411A1
• Time in Patent Office: 405 Days
• Field of Search: 385 16- 18, 385/20, 385/21, 385/24
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/2746 comprising non-reciprocal devices, e.g. isolators, FRM, circulators, quasi-isolators magneto-optic non-reciprocal devices G02F1/093
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/29373 utilising a bulk dispersive element, e.g. prism
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3518 the reflective optical element being an intrinsic part of a MEMS device, i.e. fabricated together with the MEMS device MEMS devices in general B81B; manufacture of MEM devices in general B81C; micromechanical devices controlling the direction of light G02B26/0833
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/352 the reflective optical element having a shaped reflective surface, e.g. a reflective element comprising several reflective surfaces or facets that function together
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3556 NxM switch, i.e. regular arrays of switches elements of matrix type constellation
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/356 in an optical cross-connect device, e.g. routing and switching aspects of interconnecting different paths propagating different wavelengths to (re)configure the various input and output links switching polarized beams G02B6/3594; power equalizers G02B6/356 and G02B6/3594; path selecting means H04Q11/0001
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3584 constructional details of an associated actuator having a MEMS construction, i.e. constructed using semiconductor technology such as etching MEMS per se B81B, B81C

Abstract

Optical circuit switches and switching methods are described. An optical circulator may form a first plurality of bidirectional optical beams from a first plurality of input optical beams and a corresponding first plurality of output optical beams. Each bidirectional optical beam may consist of the corresponding input optical beam and the corresponding output optical beam overlaid to follow, in opposing directions, a common optical path. A mirror array may be disposed to reflect the first plurality of bidirectional optical beams. A reflector may be disposed to intercept bidirectional optical beams reflected from the mirror array and to reflect at least some of the intercepted bidirectional optical beams back to the mirror array.

Claims

1. An optical circuit switch, comprising:

an optical circulator configured to form N bidirectional optical beams from N input optical beams and N output optical beams, where N is an integer greater than one, each bidirectional optical beam consisting of a corresponding input optical beam from the N input optical beams and a corresponding output optical beam from the N output optical beams overlaid to follow, in opposing directions, a common optical path;

a mirror array comprising at least N mirrors, the mirror array disposed to reflect each of the N bidirectional optical beams from a respective one of the at least N mirrors; and

a reflector disposed to intercept bidirectional optical beams reflected from the mirror array and to reflect at least some of the intercepted bidirectional optical beams back to the mirror array.

2. The optical circuit switch of claim 1, further comprising:

N ports, each port including an input connector to receive an input signal and an output connector to provide an output signal;

N collimator lenses to respectively convert the input signals from the N ports into the N input optical beams; and

N focusing lenses to respectively convert the N output optical beams into the output signals for the N ports.

3. The optical circuit switch of claim 1, further comprising:

a controller coupled to the mirror array, the controller configured to control rotation angles of at least some mirrors in the mirror array to make a bidirectional optical connection between any one of the N ports and any other one of the N ports.

4. A method of switching optical connections, comprising:

for each of N ports, converting an input signal, received at a respective input connector, into a respective input optical beam, where N is an integer greater than one;

for each of the N ports, converting an output optical beam into a respective output signal provided at a respective output connector;

forming N bidirectional optical beams from the input and output optical beams, each bidirectional optical beam consisting of an input optical beam and the corresponding output optical beams overlaid to follow, in opposing directions, a common optical path;

reflecting the N bidirectional optical beams from a mirror array comprising at least N mirrors, each of the N bidirectional optical beams reflecting from a respective one of the at least N mirrors; and

intercepting the bidirectional optical beams reflected from the mirror array and reflecting at least some of the intercepted bidirectional optical beams back to the mirror array.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein:

converting an input signal into a respective input optical beam comprises collimating the input signal with a respective collimator lens, and

converting an output optical beam into a respective output signal comprises focusing the output optical beam with a respective focusing lens.

6. The optical circuit switch of claim 4, further comprising:

controlling rotation angles of at least some mirrors of the mirror array such that a bidirectional optical connection may be made between any one of the N ports and any other one of the N ports.