Flex spectrum WSS
First Claim
Patent Images
1. Optical switching apparatus, comprising:
- one or more input ports and one or more output ports;
a wavelength separator optically coupled to the input ports and the output ports; and
two or more channel beam deflector arrays configured to be selectively optically coupled to the wavelength separator, each channel beam deflector array comprising a plurality of channel beam deflectors, each array being characterized by a different deflector spacing selected for a given channel spacing of constituent spectral channels, wherein the wavelength separator and channel beam deflectors are configured to facilitate selective coupling of a spectral channel between the output ports and a selected input port or vice versa; and
an array selector configured to selectively optically couple the wavelength separator to a selected array of the two or more beam deflector arrayswherein the plurality of channel beam deflector arrays are incorporated into a unified device.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Switching optical signals containing a plurality of spectral channels characterized by a predetermined channel spacing is described. A selected beam deflector array may be selected from among a plurality of available beam deflector arrays configured to accommodate spectral channels of different channel spacings. The selected beam deflector array is configured to accommodate spectral channels of the predetermined channel spacing. The spectral channels are selectively optically coupled to the selected beam deflector array, which selectively optically couples the spectral channels between one or more input ports and one or more output ports.
88 Citations
41 Claims
-
1. Optical switching apparatus, comprising:
-
one or more input ports and one or more output ports;
a wavelength separator optically coupled to the input ports and the output ports; andtwo or more channel beam deflector arrays configured to be selectively optically coupled to the wavelength separator, each channel beam deflector array comprising a plurality of channel beam deflectors, each array being characterized by a different deflector spacing selected for a given channel spacing of constituent spectral channels, wherein the wavelength separator and channel beam deflectors are configured to facilitate selective coupling of a spectral channel between the output ports and a selected input port or vice versa; and an array selector configured to selectively optically couple the wavelength separator to a selected array of the two or more beam deflector arrays wherein the plurality of channel beam deflector arrays are incorporated into a unified device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. Optical apparatus for switching multi-channel optical signals having spectral channels of different wavelengths, comprising:
-
fiber coupled collimators providing a plurality of input and output ports for optical signals having one or more of said spectral channels; an anamorphic system receiving an optical signal from an input port of the fiber collimators and being formed to convert the optical signal to a beam having a predetermined beam profile; a diffraction grating for spatially separating the beam into constituent spectral channel) beams;
focusing optics for converting the constituent spectral channels into channel beams having an elongated channel beam profile;two or more arrays of biaxial channel micromirrors, each array being characterized by a different mirror spacing selected for a given channel spacing of the constituent spectral channels, the micromirrors in each array having an elongated shape compatible with said elongated channel beam profile, and each micromirror of the array being positioned to receive one of said constituent spectral channels, the micromirrors being rotatable about a first switching axis to switch said one spectral channel to a selected output port, and being rotatable about a second attenuation axis to vary the coupling of the switched spectral channel to the selected output port to control the power level of the spectral channel output at such selected port; and an array selector configured to selectively optically couple the wavelength separator to a selected array of the two or more arrays of biaxial channel micromirrors. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. A method for switching optical signals containing a plurality of spectral channels characterized by a predetermined channel spacing, comprising:
-
selecting from among a plurality of available beam deflector arrays configured to accommodate spectral channels of different channel spacings a selected beam deflector array configured to accommodate spectral channels of the predetermined channel spacing; selectively optically coupling the plurality of spectral channels to the selected beam deflector array; and selectively optically coupling the spectral channels between one or more input ports and one or more output ports or vice versa using the selected beam deflector array;
wherein the plurality of available beam deflector arrays are incorporated into a unified device wherein selectively optically coupling the plurality of spectral channels to the selected beam deflector array includes moving the selected array into a position wherein the selected array is optically coupled to the spectral channels. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 40)
-
-
25. A method for switching optical signals containing a plurality of spectral channels characterized by a predetermined channel spacing, comprising:
-
selecting from among a plurality of available beam deflector arrays configured to accommodate spectral channels of different channel spacings a selected beam deflector array configured to accommodate spectral channels of the predetermined channel spacing; selectively optically coupling the plurality of spectral channels to the selected beam deflector array; and selectively optically coupling the spectral channels between one or more input ports and one or more output ports or vice versa using the selected beam deflector array;
wherein the plurality of available beam deflector arrays are incorporated into a unified device wherein selectively optically coupling the plurality of spectral channels to the selected beam deflector array includes converting the optical signals from one or more input ports into beams having predetermined beam profiles by anamorphically expanding the beams in orthogonal directions;
spatially separating said beams into constituent spectral channel beams having elongated channel beam profiles; and
focusing the separated spectral channel beams as elongated spots onto corresponding channel micromirrors of the selected beam deflector array that switch the focused spectral channel beams to one or more selected output ports, the channel micromirrors having an elongated shape and size that is compatible with the shape and size of said elongated spots, said focusing comprising aligning said elongated spots to be centered on said corresponding micromirrors. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 41)
-
Specification