Planar lightwave wavelength blocker devices using micromachines

• US 6,956,987 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2004
• Issued: 10/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Doerr, Christopher Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): KIANNI, KAVEH C
• Application Number:
  US10/927,610
• Publication Number:
  US 20050025426A1
• Time in Patent Office: 418 Days
• Field of Search: 385/17, 385/24, 385/15, 385/18, 385/19, 385/25, 385/27, 385/37, 385/50
• US Class Current: 385/17
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/12011 characterised by the arrayed waveguides, e.g. comprising a filled groove in the array section
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/12014 characterised by the wavefront splitting or combining section, e.g. grooves or optical elements in a slab waveguide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/12021 Comprising cascaded AWG devices; AWG multipass configuration; Plural AWG devices integrated on a single chip
• 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 6/353 the optical element being a shutter, baffle, beam dump or opaque element absorbers on light guide termination G02B6/243
• 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 6/3596 With planar waveguide arrangement, i.e. in a substrate, regardless if actuating mechanism is outside the substrate

Abstract

A method and apparatus are disclosed for selectively passing or blocking an optical signal using an opaque or reflective shutter that is selectively positioned in or out of the light path. The disclosed wavelength blocker can be employed to filter input wavelength-division multiplexed (WDM) signal comprised of N wavelength channels, where a mechanical shutter array selectively passes each of the N wavelength channels. Each mechanical shutter may be controlled, for example, by a micromachine control element that physically lifts the shutter into or out of the lightpath. The disclosed wavelength blockers may be utilized in wavelength-selective cross connects, as well as other optical devices. In an exemplary wavelength-selective cross connect, an array of mirrors are employed in a planar waveguide having two sets of waveguide gratings intersecting at an angle. The mirrors and waveguide gratings are positioned such that if the mirror for a given channel is up (removed from the light path), then that channel passes across the device and exits the corresponding output port (bar state), otherwise the light is reflected by the mirror and exits the opposite output port (bar state).

Claims

1. A planar lightwave circuit, comprising:

an I/O waveguide for receiving a multiple wavelength optical signal;

a plurality of waveguides coupling said I/O waveguide to a free space region to generate a phased array of said optical signal within said free space region; and

a plurality of mechanical shutters positioned in said free space region at a focal plane of said phased array to selectively control reflection of portions of said multiple wavelength optical signal to a desired one of a plurality of waveguide arrays to provide switching of the multiple wavelength optical signal.

2. The planar lightwave circuit according to claim 1, further comprising at least one additional I/O waveguide, and wherein the planar lightwave circuit provides optical add/drop multiplexing of signals propagated on said I/O waveguides.

3. The planar lightwave circuit according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of waveguide arrays demultiplexes said multiple wavelength optical signal.

4. The planar lightwave circuit according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of waveguides have different path lengths.