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Contentionless N×M wavelength cross connect

  • US 9,432,750 B1
  • Filed: 04/21/2014
  • Issued: 08/30/2016
  • Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2013
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A wavelength cross connect (WXC) device comprising:

  • N input ports for receiving input optical beams;

    M output ports for transmitting output optical beams;

    N input wavelength dispersive elements, each of the N input wavelength dispersive elements separating by diffraction one of the input optical beams into L split optical beams at L wavelength channels;

    a cross connect assembly having at least N×

    L incoming ports, multiple transmissive active switching elements, and at least M×

    L outgoing ports, wherein each of the N×

    L incoming ports belongs to one of the L wavelength channels, and each of the M×

    L outgoing ports belongs to one of the L wavelength channels, wherein the cross connect assembly includes attenuation components for attenuating the split optical beams;

    the N×

    L input port receiving the N×

    L split optical beams from the N input wavelength dispersive elements;

    the transmissive active switching elements configured to dynamically control optical paths between the N×

    L incoming ports and the M×

    L outgoing ports by dynamically changing directions of the optical paths such that anyone of the incoming ports of an individual wavelength channel of the L wavelength channels can establish an optical path within a common horizontal wavelength plane with anyone of the outgoing ports of the individual wavelength channel at a moment, wherein for an individual wavelength channel among the L wavelength channels, the split optical beams of the individual wavelength channel have a common wavelength and travel in a common horizontal wavelength plane corresponding to the individual wavelength channel; and

    M output wavelength dispersive elements, each of the M output wavelength dispersive elements receiving L split optical beams from some of the M×

    L outgoing ports and combining the L received split optical beams into one of the output optical beams.

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