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US 12,055,759 B2Granted
Wavelength selective switch
AssigneesO-Net Technologies (Shenzhen) Group Co., Ltd., O-Net Communications (USA) Inc.
InventorsChenjun Fan, Wenlu Wang, Zuowen Jiang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
This patent document discloses, among others, wavelength-selective switches (WSS) for redirecting optical WDM signals or channels based on a combination of spatially separating light in different optical polarizations in an optical birefringent material and using diffractive optics for separating light at different optical WDM wavelengths into spatially separated optical beam to perform wavelength-selective optical switching in optical WDM applications. Notably, the optics for processing the optical WDM signals in the disclosed optical WSS devices is designed to provide scalable optical WSS devices where different WDM signals share optical components to reduce designed optical components for different WDM signals.
Claims20
A wavelength selective optical switch, comprising:
- a linear array of optical fibers spaced from each other along a first direction to form a first plane which has a normal direction in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction;
- an optical birefringent material positioned to receive output light from fiber terminal ports of the linear array of optical fibers and configured to spatially separate light output from each optical fiber into two spatially separated optical beams in two orthogonal optical polarizations to define a second plane which has a normal direction that is parallel to the first direction;
- a collimating lens located away from the optical birefringent material to receive the spatially divergent or separated optical beams in orthogonal optical polarizations from each optical fiber of the linear array of optical fibers and spaced from the fiber terminal ports of the linear array of optical fibers by a focal length of the collimating lens to transform the two spatially divergent or separated optical beams in the two orthogonal optical polarizations from each optical fiber into two spatially separated and parallel optical beams in the two orthogonal optical polarizations, respectively;
- an optical polarization rotator positioned and structured to receive optical beams from the linear array of optical fibers in only one optical polarization of the two orthogonal optical polarizations to rotate the polarization of the received optical beams from the linear array of optical fibers in the only one optical polarization to be parallel to the other optical polarization of the two orthogonal optical polarizations so that two spatially separated and parallel optical beams from each optical fiber are in a same polarization;
- an optical grating positioned downstream from the optical polarization rotator and the collimating lens to receive the two spatially separated and parallel optical beams in the same polarization from each optical fiber of the linear array of optical fibers and to diffract each optical beam into different diffracted output beams at different optical wavelengths in different diffracted beam directions, respectively;
- an array of optical deflectors positioned relative to the optical grating to receive the different diffracted output beams at different optical wavelengths in different diffracted beam directions from each optical fiber of the linear array of optical fibers, respectively, and redirect the received different diffracted output beams at different optical wavelengths in different diffracted beam directions from each optical fiber of the linear array of optical fibers back to the optical grating, the optical polarization rotator, the collimating lens, the optical birefringent material and the fiber terminal ports of the linear array of optical fibers;
- a first cylindrical lens and a second cylindrical lens located between the optical grating and the array of optical deflectors and on different sides of an optical axis of the collimating lens;
- and
- a control device coupled to the array of optical deflectors to apply deflector control signals to the optical deflectors, respectively, so that each optical deflector is responsive to a corresponding applied control signal to direct a diffracted output beam from the optical grating in a desired direction back to the optical grating based on the corresponding applied control signal, wherein the deflector control signals are generated to effectuate desired wavelength-selective optical switching in the linear array of optical fibers.
6 more elements
A wavelength selective optical switch, comprising:
- a linear array of optical fibers spaced from each other along a first direction to form a first plane which has a normal direction in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction;
- an optical birefringent material positioned to receive output light from the linear array of optical fibers and configured to spatially separate light output from each optical fiber into two spatially separated optical beams in two orthogonal optical polarizations to define a second plane which has a normal direction that is parallel to the first direction;
- a collimating lens located away from the optical birefringent material to receive the spatially divergent optical beams in orthogonal optical polarizations from each optical fiber of the linear array of optical fibers and spaced from fiber terminal ports of the linear array of optical fibers by a focal length of the collimating lens to transform the two spatially divergent optical beams in the two orthogonal optical polarizations from each optical fiber into two spatially separated and parallel optical beams in the two orthogonal optical polarizations, respectively;
- an optical polarization rotator positioned and structured to receive optical beams from the linear array of optical fibers in only one optical polarization of the two orthogonal optical polarizations to rotate the polarization of the received optical beams from the linear array of optical fibers in the only one optical polarization to be parallel to the other optical polarization of the two orthogonal optical polarizations so that two spatially separated and parallel optical beams from each optical fiber are in a same polarization;
- an optical grating positioned downstream from the optical polarization rotator and the collimating lens to receive the two spatially separated and parallel optical beams in the same polarization from each optical fiber of the linear array of optical fibers and to diffract each optical beam into different diffracted beams at different optical wavelengths in different diffracted beam directions, respectively, wherein the optical grating is a reflective optical grating and directs the different diffracted beams at different optical wavelengths in different diffracted beam directions on a same side of the optical grating;
- an array of optical deflectors positioned in optical paths of the different diffracted beams at the different optical wavelengths in the different diffracted beam directions from the optical grating to reflect the different diffracted beams back towards the optical grating so as to redirect the received different diffracted beams from the optical grating towards the collimating lens, the optical birefringent material and the fiber terminal ports of the linear array of optical fibers;
- a first cylindrical lens and a second cylindrical lens located between the optical grating and the array of optical deflectors and on different sides of an optical axis of the collimating lens;
- and
- a control device coupled to the array of optical deflectors to apply deflector control signals to the optical deflectors, respectively, so that each optical deflector is responsive to a corresponding applied control signal to direct a diffracted beam from the optical grating in a desired direction towards the collimating lens, the optical birefringent material and the fiber terminal ports of the linear array of optical fibers for optical switching based on the corresponding applied control signal, wherein the deflector control signals are generated to effectuate desired wavelength-selective optical switching in the linear array of optical fibers.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.