Optical coupling device with adjustable coupling coefficient

An optical coupling device for performing signal replication, comprising

• a plurality of input channels;
• a plurality of output channels;
• a plurality of input coupling arrangements and a plurality of output coupling arrangements;
• wherein each input coupling arrangement comprises a coupling channel, the input coupling arrangement being configured to couple an optical signal propagating through a corresponding input channel into the coupling channel with an adjustable coupling coefficient;
• wherein each output coupling arrangement comprises a coupling channel, the output coupling arrangement being configured to couple an optical signal propagating through the coupling channel into a corresponding output channel with an adjustable coupling coefficient;
• wherein each coupling channel, and/or each input channel, and/or each output channel, is provided with an amplitude adjuster comprising an attenuator followed by an optical amplifier;
• wherein the input coupling arrangements and/or the output coupling arrangements comprise a phase shift element,
• wherein the input coupling arrangements and/or the output coupling arrangements are implemented as interferometers;
• and
• a controller configured to control the operation of the phase shift elements to set the adjustable coupling coefficients, so as to control an amount of optical signal propagating through the input channel when the phase shift element is part of an input coupling arrangement, and to control an amount of optical signal propagating through the output channel when the phase shift element is part of an output coupling arrangement,
• wherein the controller is further configured to perform signal replication by
• setting the adjustable coupling coefficients of the input coupling arrangements to couple an optical signal from a single input port to a plurality of coupling channels and to prevent coupling from other optical signals to other coupling channels;
• and
• by turning on one or more optical amplifiers connected to the single input port, to address multiple output ports so that for each replicated signal an amplitude of the replicated signal is compensated for optical losses.

A method of manipulating an optical signal, the method comprising

• providing an optical coupling device comprising a plurality of input channels;
• a plurality of output channels;
• and at least one of a plurality of input coupling arrangements and a plurality of output coupling arrangements;
• wherein each input coupling arrangement comprises a coupling channel, the input coupling arrangement being configured to couple an optical signal propagating through a corresponding input channel into the coupling channel with an adjustable coupling coefficient;
• and
• wherein each output coupling arrangement comprises a coupling channel, the output coupling arrangement being configured to couple an optical signal propagating through the coupling channel into a corresponding output channel with an adjustable coupling coefficient;
• wherein each input channel, and/or each output channel is provided with an amplitude adjuster comprising an attenuator followed by an optical amplifier;
• wherein the input coupling arrangements and/or the output coupling arrangements comprise a phase shift element;
• wherein the input coupling arrangements and the output coupling arrangements are implemented as interferometers;
• sending the optical signal through an input channel;
• and
• operating the plurality of coupling arrangements with a controller to manipulate the optical signal;
• wherein the controller is configured to control the operation of the phase shift elements to set the adjustable coupling coefficients so as to control an amount of optical signal propagating through the input channel and to control an amount of optical signal propagating through the output channel.