Optical switch with 3D waveguides
First Claim
1. An optical switch comprising:
- a substrate;
a first buried optical waveguide for propagating an optical signal, where said optical signal propagates in the first optical waveguide along a first direction;
a second buried optical waveguide extending in a second direction different than the first direction; and
a diffractive optical element disposed above a total internal reflection region of the substrate and moveable relative thereto between a switching position wherein the optical signal is switched from the first optical waveguide into the second optical waveguide and a non-switching position wherein the optical signal reflects at the total internal reflection region under total internal reflection.
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Abstract
An optical switch for routing optical signals between optical fibers is shown. Signals are guided internally in an optically transparent substrate by buried waveguides that are directly coupled to the optical fibers. These waveguides form a 3-dimensional optical routing structure internal to the substrate. Signals are coupled between adjacent waveguides by total internal reflection at the surfaces of the substrate. A moveable diffraction grating is coupled to these optical signals at points of total internal reflection via evanescent coupling. This coupling causes a change in direction of the optical signal and routes the signal to the desired waveguide. Known techniques can be used to form the waveguides by writing them with a pulsed laser. Local heating causes a permanent increase in refractive index that forms a single mode waveguide structure. The resulting device has low losses and can be formed by low cost MEMs processes.
91 Citations
25 Claims
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1. An optical switch comprising:
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a substrate;
a first buried optical waveguide for propagating an optical signal, where said optical signal propagates in the first optical waveguide along a first direction;
a second buried optical waveguide extending in a second direction different than the first direction; and
a diffractive optical element disposed above a total internal reflection region of the substrate and moveable relative thereto between a switching position wherein the optical signal is switched from the first optical waveguide into the second optical waveguide and a non-switching position wherein the optical signal reflects at the total internal reflection region under total internal reflection. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An optical switch comprising:
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a substrate having a plurality of intersection regions;
a buried input waveguide within the substrate for propagating an optical signal under total internal reflection;
a plurality of buried output waveguides within the substrate for propagating the optical signal, wherein each of the plurality of buried output waveguides is disposed adjacent the buried input waveguide at one of the plurality of intersection regions; and
a plurality of diffractive optical elements, each diffractive optical element disposed above one of the plurality of intersection regions, and each diffractive optical element individually moveable relative to the substrate between a non-switching position and a switching position where the optical signal propagating in the buried input waveguide is coupled into one of the plurality of buried output waveguides. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of switching an optical signal comprising:
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forming a buried input waveguide in a substrate, the buried input waveguide extending in a first direction;
forming a buried output waveguide in the substrate, the buried output waveguide extending in a second direction different from the first direction; and
disposing a diffractive optical element adjacent the substrate for movement between a switching position, wherein the optical signal propagating in the buried input waveguide is coupled into the buried output waveguide, and a non-switching position wherein the optical signal propagating in the buried input waveguide is not coupled into the buried output waveguide. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification