Beam steering element and associated methods for manifold fiberoptic switches and monitoring

• US 20090304328A1
• Filed: 10/25/2007
• Published: 12/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lumentum Operations, LLC (Lumentum Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Microsystems America, Inc. (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Nagy, Michael L., Presley, Harry Wayne
• Granted Patent: US 8,131,123 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/16
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/29311 Diffractive element operating in transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/29313 characterised by means for controlling the position or direction of light incident to or leaving the diffractive element, e.g. for varying the wavelength response switching G02B6/35
• 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 6/3548 1xN switch, i.e. one input and a selectable single output of N possible outputs
• 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 6/3588 of the processed beams, i.e. controlling during switching of orientation, alignment, or beam propagation properties such as intensity, size or shape

Abstract

An optical system comprising two or more optical switches co-packaged together comprising discrete sets of input fiber ports (N per set) and an output fiber port (1 per set), and wherein λn from said set of multiple input fiber ports (N) is focused on λn mirror via the use of shared free space optics, wherein at least a first array of MEMS mirrors is utilized to select and switch selected wavelengths from the first set of input fiber ports (N) to an output fiber port of the same set, and wherein at least a second array of MEMS mirrors using and sharing the same free space optics is utilized to select individual wavelengths or spectral components from its input fiber ports to send to its output fiber port for optical power or other monitoring purposes, thus, enabling an N×1, or alternatively a 1×N switch capable of internal feedback monitoring.

Claims

1. An optical system comprising two or more optical switches for switching one or more optical signals, the signals comprising one or more optical wavelengths, each optical wavelength constituting a work piece, each said optical switch comprising:

one or more input fiber ports, each said input fiber port serving as an external interface for introducing the one or more input optical signals into one of said two or more optical switches;

one output fiber port, said output fiber port serving as an external interface for extracting the output optical signal from one of said two or more optical switches;

at least one shared arrayed switching element for receiving at least one wavelength from said one or more input fiber ports and for switching the at least one wavelength from one of said one or more input fiber ports to said output fiber port according to a state of at least one switch of said at least one shared arrayed switching element;

at least one optical measurement device, coupled to said output fiber port of at least one optical switch of said two or more optical switches, for measuring at least one optical property of the output optical signal of said output fiber port;

at least one shared wavelength dispersive element for spatially separating at least one first wavelength of one of the one or more input optical signals from at least one other wavelength of the input optical signal and for recombining at least one first wavelength of the output optical signal with at least one other wavelength of the output optical signal;

at least one shared arrayed steering element for steering the at least one wavelength from any of said one or more input fiber ports onto said at least one shared arrayed switching element, and for steering the at least one wavelength from said at least one shared arrayed switching element to said output fiber port; and

,

one or more shared optical elements, wherein each said optical element focuses the optical signals of said one or more input fiber ports and said output fiber port,

wherein said one or more shared elements are adapted to be utilized by each said optical switch of said two or more optical switches.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one tap for coupling a portion of said output fiber port optical signal from a first optical switch of said two or more optical switches to one of said one or more input fiber ports of one other optical switch of said two or more optical switches, and wherein at least one wavelength of the portion of said output fiber port optical signal from said first optical switch is switched to said optical measurement device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said optical measurement device measures at least one optical property of the at least one wavelength of the output optical signal of said output fiber port coupled to said at least one optical measurement device and outputs said measurement.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising a controller wherein said controller receives said output of said optical measurement device and responsively adjusts said state of said at least one switch of said at least one shared arrayed switching element of at least one said optical switch of said two or more optical switches to effect control of at least one wavelength of said optical signal in said output fiber port of said at least one said optical switch of said two or more optical switches.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said optical measurement device sequentially receives a plurality of wavelengths of the optical signals, sequentially measures at least one optical property of said received plurality of wavelengths of the optical signals, and outputs said measurements, and wherein said controller sequentially adjusts said state of said at least one switch of said at least one shared arrayed switching element of said at least one optical switch of said two or more optical switches to sequentially effect control of at least one wavelength of said optical signal in said output fiber port of said at least one optical switch of said two or more optical switches.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein said controller further adjusts at least one of the power transmission coefficients of the at least one wavelength of said output fiber port to be less than their maximum values.

7. The system of claim 2, further comprising at least one auxiliary port coupled to one other of said one or more input fiber ports of said one other of said two or more optical switches, for introducing one auxiliary input optical signal, wherein said at least one switch of said at least one shared arrayed switching element selectively switches at least one wavelength either from said one auxiliary input optical signal or from said portion of the optical signal coupled from said one or more input fiber ports of said first optical switch to said optical measurement device.

8. The system of claim 4, wherein said optical measurement device measures at least one optical property of each said at least one wavelength of said output fiber port of said one other optical switch of said two or more optical switches, and therefrom controls said state of at least one switch of said at least one shared arrayed switching element to effect a fractional change in power transmission of at least one wavelength of at least one optical signal through said system.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a fiber port concentrator coupled to said one or more input ports and to said output fiber port of at least one optical switch of said two or more optical switches, wherein said fiber port concentrator optimizes the port-to-port spacing and outputs and receives the optical signals from free space in a predominately linearly spaced grid.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said fiber port concentrator further comprises one or more waveguides for reducing the spacing between said one or more input fiber ports and said output fiber port and for guiding said optical signals to and from free space.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein at least one tap is positioned within said fiber port concentrator.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said two or more optical switches further comprise a single manifold housing.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein each said at least one shared arrayed steering element is selected from a group consisting of prisms, lenses, diffraction elements, holographic elements, mirrors, and combinations thereof.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein each said at least one shared arrayed steering element further comprises one or more facets, wherein each said facet is configured to position the at least one wavelength from any of said one or more input fiber ports onto said at least one shared arrayed switching element, and is configured to position the at least one wavelength from said at least one shared arrayed switching element to said output fiber port.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein each said at least one shared arrayed steering element further comprises one or more focal points, wherein said at least one shared arrayed steering element steers at least one first set of wavelengths from any of said one or more input fiber ports onto a first switch of said at least one shared arrayed switching element and further steers at least one other set of wavelengths from any of said one or more input fiber ports onto at least one other switch of said at least one shared arrayed switching element.

16. An optical system comprising two or more optical switches for switching one or more optical signals, the signals comprising one or more optical wavelengths, each optical wavelength constituting a work piece, each said optical switch comprising:

one input fiber port, said input fiber port serving as an external interface for introducing the input optical signal into one of said two or more optical switches;

one or more output fiber ports, each said output fiber port serving as an external interface for extracting the one or more output optical signals from one of said two or more optical switches;

at least one shared arrayed switching element for receiving at least one wavelength from said input fiber port and for switching the at least one wavelength of said input fiber port to one of said one or more output fiber ports according to a state of at least one switch of said at least one shared arrayed switching element;

at least one optical measurement device, coupled to at least one of said one or more output fiber ports of at least one optical switch of said two or more optical switches, for measuring at least one optical property of the output optical signal of said at least one of said one or more output fiber ports;

at least one shared wavelength dispersive element for spatially separating at least one first wavelength of the input optical signal from at least one other wavelength of the input optical signal and for recombining at least one first wavelength of one of the one or more output optical signals with at least one other wavelength of the output optical signal;

at least one shared arrayed steering element for steering the at least one wavelength from said input fiber port onto said at least one shared arrayed switching element, and for steering the at least one wavelength from said at least one shared arrayed switching element to any of said one or more output fiber ports; and

,

one or more shared optical elements, wherein each said optical element focuses the optical signal of said input fiber port and said one or more output fiber ports,

wherein said one or more shared elements are adapted to be utilized by each said optical switch of said two or more optical switches.

17. A method for co-packaging two or more optical switches and for switching one or more optical signals, the signals comprising one or more optical wavelengths, each optical wavelength constituting a work piece, and wherein said optical switches share common elements, each said optical switch comprising and performing according to the steps of:

grouping one or more input fiber ports and one output fiber port into a discrete set;

connecting said one or more input fiber ports to said output fiber port within said set, wherein each said input fiber port serves as an external interface for introducing the one or more input optical signals, and wherein said output fiber port serves as an external interface for extracting the output optical signal;

projecting the input optical signals from said one or more input fiber ports into free space and receiving the output optical signal from free space into said output fiber port within said set;

dispersing spectrally and spatially at least one first wavelength of one of the one or more input optical signals from at least one other wavelength of the input optical signal, and recombining at least one first wavelength of the output optical signal with at least one other wavelength of the output optical signal within said set, by utilizing at least one shared dispersive element;

switching the at least one wavelength from the optical signal from at least one of said one or more input fiber ports to said output fiber port within said set, by utilizing at least one switch of a shared arrayed switching element;

coupling said output fiber port of said at least one optical switch of said two or more optical switches to at least one optical measurement device;

measuring at least one optical property of the output optical signal of said output fiber port; and

,

steering at least one wavelength of the dispersed optical signals from any of said one or more input fiber ports onto said at least one switch and steering the at least one wavelength from said at least one switch to said output fiber port within said set, by utilizing at least one shared arrayed steering element,

wherein said one or more shared elements are adapted to be utilized by each said optical switch of said two or more optical switches.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of coupling a portion of the output signal of said output fiber port from a first optical switch of said two or more optical switches to one of said one or more input fiber ports of one other optical switch of said two or more optical switches, and wherein at least one wavelength of the portion of the output signal of said output fiber port from said first optical switch is switched to said optical measurement device.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of adjusting at least one of the power transmission coefficient of the at least one wavelength of said output fiber port to be less than its maximum value.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of focusing the optical signals of said one or more input fiber ports and said output fiber port of at least one optical switch of said two or more optical switches.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of focusing a first of said at least one wavelength from said one or more input fiber ports of a first of said two or more optical switches onto a first switch of said shared arrayed switching element and focusing one other of said at least one wavelength from said one or more input fiber ports of one other of said two or more optical switches onto one other switch of said shared arrayed switching element.

22. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of controlling a switching route of at least one wavelength between said one or more input fiber ports and said output fiber port of a first of said two or more optical switches by changing the state of a first switch of said shared arrayed switching element, and controlling a switching route of at least one other wavelength between said one or more input fiber ports and said output fiber port of one other of said two or more optical switches by changing a state of one other switch of said shared arrayed switching element.

23. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of concentrating said one or more input fiber ports and said output fiber port within said set, to be closer together in a predominately linearly spaced grid.

24. A method for co-packaging two or more optical switches for switching one or more optical signals, the signals comprising one or more optical wavelengths, each optical wavelength constituting a work piece, and wherein said optical switches share common elements, each said optical switch comprising and performing according to the steps of:

grouping one input fiber port and one or more output fiber ports into a discrete set;

connecting said input fiber port to said one or more output fiber ports within said set, wherein said input fiber port serves as an external interface for introducing the one input optical signal, and wherein said one or more output fiber ports serve as an external interface for extracting the output optical signals;

projecting the input optical signal from said input fiber port into free space and receiving the output optical signals into said one or more output fiber ports within said set;

dispersing spectrally and spatially at least one first wavelength of the input optical signal from at least one other wavelength of the input optical signal and recombining at least one first wavelength of one of the one or more output optical signals with at least one other wavelength of the output optical signal within said set, by utilizing at least one shared dispersive element;

switching the at least one wavelength from the optical signal from said input fiber port to said one or more output fiber ports within said set, by utilizing at least one switch of a shared arrayed switching element;

coupling at least one of said one or more output fiber ports of said at least one optical switch of said two or more optical switches to at least one optical measurement device;

measuring at least one optical property of the output optical signal of said at least one of said one or more output fiber ports; and

,

steering the at least one wavelength of the optical signal from said input fiber port onto said at least one switch and steering the at least one wavelength from said at least one switch to any of said one or more output fiber ports within said set, by utilizing at least one shared arrayed steering element,

wherein said one or more shared elements are adapted to be utilized by each said optical switch of said two or more optical switches.

25. A method for co-packaging two or more optical switches for switching one or more optical signals, the signals comprising one or more optical wavelengths, each optical wavelength constituting a work piece, and wherein said optical switches share common elements, each optical switch, comprising and performing according to the steps of:

obtaining an optical switch comprising a discrete set of one or more input signal carriers and one output signal carrier, wherein each said input signal carrier serves as an external interface for introducing the one or more input optical signals and wherein said output signal carrier serves as an external interface for extracting the output optical signal;

dispersing spectrally and spatially at least one first wavelength of one of the one or more input optical signals from at least one other wavelength of the input optical signal and recombining at least one first wavelength of the output optical signal with at least one other wavelength of the output optical signal within said set, by utilizing at least one shared dispersive element;

switching the at least one wavelength from the optical signal from said one or more input signal carriers to said output signal carrier within said set, by utilizing at least one said switch of a shared arrayed switching element;

coupling said output signal carrier of said at least one optical switch of said two or more optical switches to at least one optical measurement device;

measuring at least one optical property of the output optical signal of said output signal carrier; and

,

steering at least one wavelength of the optical signal from any of said one or more input signal carriers onto said at least one switch and steering the at least one wavelength from said at least one switch to said output signal carrier within said set, by utilizing at least one shared arrayed steering element,

wherein said one or more shared elements are adapted to be utilized by each said optical switch of said two or more optical switches.