# US 11,190,859 B2 · Photonic switches, photonic switching fabrics and methods for data centers > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,190,859 B2 - Document ID: US11190859B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/673,115 - Filed: 2019-11-04 - Published: 2020-05-14 - Granted: 2021-11-30 - Earliest claimed: 2015-03-23 - Assignees: Aeponyx Inc. - Applicants: Aeponyx Inc. - Inventors: Francois Menard; Martin Berard; Jonathan Briere - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11190859B2 ## CPC - H04Q 11/0005: {Switch and router aspects} - 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)} - H04L 12/6418: {Hybrid transport} - H04Q 11/0062: {Network aspects} - H04Q 11/02: for frequency-division multiplexing {(H04Q11/0001 takes precedence)} - G02B 2006/12145: {Switch} - H04Q 2011/0016: {using wavelength multiplexing or demultiplexing} - H04Q 2011/003: {using switches based on microelectro-mechanical systems [MEMS]} - H04Q 2011/0039: {Electrical control} - H04Q 2011/0058: {Crossbar; Matrix} - H04Q 2011/0073: {Provisions for forwarding or routing, e.g. lookup tables} - H04Q: SELECTING (switches, relays, selectors H01H; wireless communication networks H04W) - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract Data center interconnections, which encompass WSCs as well as traditional data centers, have become both a bottleneck and a cost/power issue for cloud computing providers, cloud service providers and the users of the cloud generally. Fiber optic technologies already play critical roles in data center operations and will increasingly in the future. The goal is to move data as fast as possible with the lowest latency with the lowest cost and the smallest space consumption on the server blade and throughout the network. Accordingly, it would be beneficial for new fiber optic interconnection architectures to address the traditional hierarchal time-division multiplexed (TDM) routing and interconnection and provide reduced latency, increased flexibility, lower cost, lower power consumption, and provide interconnections exploiting scalable optical modular optically switched interconnection network as well as temporospatial switching fabrics allowing switching speeds below the slowest switching element within the switching fabric. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An optical device comprising: a first non-suspended portion supporting an input optical waveguide; a second non-suspended portion supporting a plurality of output optical waveguides; a suspended portion disposed between the first non-suspended portion and the second non-suspended portion comprising: a pivot coupled to a substrate of the optical device; a beam comprising: a first suspended waveguide portion disposed between the pivot and the first non-suspended portion; a second suspended waveguide portion disposed between the pivot and the second non-suspended portion having a first end coupled to the pivot and a second distal end where the beam for the second suspended waveguide portion is split in two between the first end and the second end; and a waveguide disposed upon the first suspended waveguide portion and the second suspended waveguide portion coupled at a first end to the input optical waveguide and having a second end at the second distal end of the second suspended waveguide portion for coupling optical signals from the input optical waveguide to an output optical waveguide of the plurality of output optical waveguides; and a first microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) actuator mechanically coupled to the pivot; wherein the waveguide is disposed upon one of the split portions of the beam between the first end of the second suspended waveguide portion and the second distal end of the second suspended waveguide portion; and the second distal end of the second suspended waveguide portion is translated relative to the second non-suspended portion by the first MEMS actuator to align the second end of the waveguide with the output optical waveguide of the plurality of output optical waveguides. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The optical device according to claim 1, further comprising a second MEMS actuator mechanically coupled to the pivot and disposed to another side of the suspended portion to that of the first MEMS actuator. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The optical device according to claim 2, wherein the first MEMS actuator is a first rotational actuator; and the second MEMS actuator is a second rotational actuator. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The optical device according to claim 1, wherein the waveguide is optically coupled to another output optical waveguide of the plurality of output optical waveguides by the appropriate action of the first MEMS actuator. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The optical device according to claim 1, wherein the first MEMS actuator is a rotational actuator. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The optical device according to claim 1, wherein the second distal end of the second suspended waveguide portion is attracted to the second non-suspended portion when the second distal end of the second suspended waveguide portion and the second non-suspended portion are oppositely charged to close a gap between the second distal end of the second suspended waveguide portion and the second non-suspended portion; and the second distal end of the second suspended waveguide portion can be moved relative to the second non-suspended portion when the second distal end of the second suspended waveguide portion and the second non-suspended portion are either uncharged or similarly charged. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The optical device according to claim 1, wherein each of the split portions of the beam between the first end of the second suspended waveguide portion and the second distal end of the second suspended waveguide portion have a curved geometry; and the split portions are disposed on either side of an axis of the suspended portion between the first end of the second suspended waveguide portion and the second distal end of the second suspended waveguide portion. ### Claim 8 A method of optical switching of an optical device comprising: providing a first non-suspended portion supporting a plurality of input optical waveguides; providing a second non-suspended portion supporting a plurality of output optical waveguides; providing a suspended portion disposed between the first non-suspended portion and the second non-suspended portion comprising: a pivot coupled to a substrate of the optical device; a beam comprising: a first suspended waveguide portion disposed between the pivot and the first non-suspended portion; a second suspended waveguide portion disposed between the pivot and the second non-suspended portion having a first end coupled to the pivot and a second distal end where the beam for the second suspended waveguide portion is split in two between the first end and the second end; and a waveguide disposed upon the first suspended waveguide portion and the second suspended waveguide portion coupled at a first end to the input optical waveguide and having a second end at the second distal end of the second suspended waveguide portion for coupling optical signals from the input optical waveguide to an output optical waveguide of the plurality of output optical waveguides; and providing a first microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) actuator mechanically coupled to the pivot; wherein the waveguide is disposed upon one of the split portions of the beam between the first end of the second suspended waveguide portion and the second distal end of the second suspended waveguide portion; and the second distal end of the second suspended waveguide portion is translated relative to the second non-suspended portion by the first MEMS actuator to align the second end of the waveguide with the output optical waveguide of the plurality of output optical waveguides. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of optical switching according to claim 8, further comprising providing a second MEMS actuator mechanically coupled to the pivot and disposed to another side of the suspended portion to that of the first MEMS actuator. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of optical switching according to claim 9, wherein providing the first MEMS actuator comprises providing a first rotational actuator; and providing the second MEMS actuator comprises providing a second rotational actuator. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The method of optical switching according to claim 8, wherein the waveguide is optically coupled to another output optical waveguide of the plurality of output optical waveguides by the appropriate action of the first MEMS actuator. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The method of optical switching according to claim 8, wherein providing the first MEMS actuator comprises providing a rotational actuator. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The method of optical switching according to claim 8, wherein the second distal end of the second suspended waveguide portion is attracted to the second non-suspended portion when the second distal end of the second suspended waveguide portion and the second non-suspended portion are oppositely charged to close a gap between the second distal end of the second suspended waveguide portion and the second non-suspended portion; and the second distal end of the second suspended waveguide portion can be moved relative to the second non-suspended portion when the second distal end of the second suspended waveguide portion and the second non-suspended portion are either uncharged or similarly charged. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The method of optical switching according to claim 8, wherein each of the split portions of the beam between the first end of the second suspended waveguide portion and the second distal end of the second suspended waveguide portion have a curved geometry; and the split portions are disposed on either side of an axis of the suspended portion between the first end of the second suspended waveguide portion and the second distal end of the second suspended waveguide portion. ### Claim 15 An optical device comprising: a first non-suspended portion supporting M input optical waveguides; a second non-suspended portion supporting N output optical waveguides; a suspended portion disposed between the first non-suspended portion and the second non-suspended portion comprising: a pivot coupled to a substrate of the optical device; a beam comprising: a first suspended waveguide portion disposed between the pivot and the first non-suspended portion; a second suspended waveguide portion disposed between the pivot and the second non-suspended portion having a first end coupled to the pivot and a second distal end where the beam for the second suspended waveguide portion is split in two between the first end and the second end; and M waveguides disposed upon the first suspended waveguide portion and the second suspended waveguide portion coupled at a first end to the M input optical waveguides and at a second end at the second distal end of the second suspended waveguide portion for coupling optical signals from the M input optical waveguides to a subset of the N output optical waveguides; and a first microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) actuator mechanically coupled to the pivot; wherein the second distal end of the second suspended waveguide portion is translated relative to the second non-suspended portion to align the M waveguides with the subset of the N output optical waveguides. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The optical device according to claim 15, wherein the M waveguides are optically coupled to another subset of the N output optical waveguides by the appropriate action of the first MEMS actuator. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The optical device according to claim 15, further comprising a second MEMS actuator mechanically coupled to the pivot and disposed to another side of the suspended portion to that of the first MEMS actuator. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The optical device according to claim 15, wherein the second distal end of the second suspended waveguide portion is attracted to the second non-suspended portion when the second distal end of the second suspended waveguide portion and the second non-suspended portion are oppositely charged to close a gap between the second distal end of the second suspended waveguide portion and the second non-suspended portion; and the second distal end of the second suspended waveguide portion can be moved relative to the second non-suspended portion when the second distal end of the second suspended waveguide portion and the second non-suspended portion are either uncharged or similarly charged. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The optical device according to claim 15, wherein each of the split portions of the beam between the first end of the second suspended waveguide portion and the second distal end of the second suspended waveguide portion have a curved geometry; and the split portions are disposed on either side of an axis of the suspended portion between the first end of the second suspended waveguide portion and the second distal end of the second suspended waveguide portion.