Waveguide grating-based wavelength selective switch actuated by micro-electromechanical system

The wavelength-selective optical transmission system of claim 1 wherein:

• said Bragg gratings disposed on said wavelength-selective bridge waveguide facing said bus waveguide.

The wavelength-selective optical transmission system of claim 1 wherein:

• said Bragg gratings disposed on said wavelength-selective bridge waveguide opposite said bus waveguide.

The wavelength-selective optical transmission system of claim 1 further comprising:

• a second waveguide for coupling to and receiving said optical signal with a central wavelength particular to said Bragg gratings from said wavelength-selective bridge waveguide.

A wavelength-selective bridge means disposed between a first waveguide and a second waveguide comprising:

• a plurality Bragg gratings provided for wavelength selectively transmitting an optical signal of a central wavelength particular to said Bragg gratings from said first waveguide to said second waveguide.

A wavelength-selective bridge means disposed on an intersection between a first waveguide and an intersecting waveguide comprising:

• a plurality Bragg gratings provided for wavelength selectively transmitting an optical signal of a central wavelength particular to said Bragg gratings from said first waveguide to said intersecting waveguide.

A wavelength-selective bridge waveguide comprising:

• a first waveguide-section and a second waveguide-section having a plurality Bragg gratings disposed thereon provided for wavelength selectively drawing an optical signal in from said first waveguide-section and transmitting said optical signal out from said second waveguide-section.

A method for transmitting an optical signal through a wavelength-selective bridge waveguide comprising:

• forming a plurality Bragg gratings on said wavelength-selective bridge waveguide for wavelength selectively drawing an optical signal through said first waveguide-section and transmitting said optical signal out from a second waveguide-section.

17 The wavelength-selective optical switching system of claim 16 wherein:

• each of said plurality of wavelength selective grating switching means SW(i, j) where i=0, 1, 2, , M and j=1, 2, 3, , N, further comprising Bragg gratings provided for wavelength selectly transmitting an optical signal of a central wavelength particular to said Bragg from a first waveguide WG(i) to a second waveguide WG′(j) intersecting said first waveguide WG(i).

18 The wavelength-selective optical switching system of claim 16 wherein:

• each of said plurality of wavelength selective grating switching means SW(i, j) where i=0, 1, 2, , M and j=1, 2, 3, , N, further comprising a bridge waveguide WGB(i, j) wherein said WGB(i, j) having a first set of Bragg gratings coupled to said waveguide WG(i) and a second set of Bragg gratings coupled to said waveguide WG′(j)
• said first set of Bragg gratings are provided for wavelength selectively transmitting an optical signal of a central wavelength particular to said first set of Bragg gratings from said waveguide WG(i) to said WGB(i, j) and said second set of Bragg gratings are provide for transmitting said optical signal of a central wavelength particular to said second set of Bragg gratings from said bridge waveguide WGB(i, j) to an intersecting waveguide WG′(j).

19 The wavelength-selective optical switching system of claim 18 wherein:

• at least one of said bridge waveguide WGB(i, j) is a movable bridge waveguide for on/off switching said wavelength selective grating switch SW(i,j) by engaging and disengaging said first and second sets of Bragg gratings to and from said waveguides WG(i) and WG′(j).

20 The wavelength-selective optical switching system of claim 16 wherein:

• at least one of said plurality of wavelength selective grating switching means SW(i,j) where i=0, 1, 2, , M and j=1, 2, 3, , N, further comprising movable Bragg gratings provided for wavelength selectively transmitting an optical signal of a central wavelength particular to said Bragg gratings from a first waveguide WG(i) to a second waveguide WG′(j) intersecting said first waveguide WG(i) whereby said wavelength selective grating switching means is a on/off switchable switching means.

21 The wavelength-selective optical switching system of claim 20 wherein:

• at least one of said plurality of wavelength selective grating switching means SW(i, j) where i=0, 1, 2, , M and j=1, 2, 3, , N, further comprising an electrically controllable moving means for moving said movable Bragg gratings for activating said Bragg gratings for wavelength selectively transmitting an optical signal of a central wavelength particular to said Bragg gratings from a first waveguide WG(i) to a second waveguide WG′(j) intersecting said first waveguide WG(i) whereby said wavelength selective grating switching means is a on/off switchable switching means.

22 The wavelength-selective optical switching system of claim 16 wherein:

• each of said plurality of wavelength selective grating switching means SW(0, j) where j=1, 2, 3, , N, each disposed on one of said N intersections is an non-switchable wavelength selective grating switching means for selectively transmitting an optical signal of wavelength λj into a waveguide WG′(j).

23 The wavelength-selective optical switching system of claim 16 wherein:

• each of said plurality of wavelength selective grating switching means SW(i, j) where i=1, 2, 3, , M, and j=1, 2, 3, , N, each disposed on one of said M×N intersections is an on/off switchable wavelength selective grating switching means for selectively transmitting an optical signal of a predefined combination of wavelengths into at least one of said waveguide WG(i) for i=1, 2, 3, M.

24 The wavelength-selective optical switching system of claim 16 further comprising:

• a plurality of optical ports each disposed on one of said waveguides WG′(j) provided for connecting to an optical device.

25 The wavelength-selective optical switching system of claim 16 further comprising:

• A residual input signal optical port disposed on said input waveguide WG(0) provided for connecting and transmitting a residual input optical signal to an optical device.

26 The wavelength-selective optical switching system of claim 21 wherein:

• at least one of said electrically controllable moving means is an electrostatic moving means for moving said movable Bragg gratings for activating said Bragg gratings.

27 The wavelength-selective optical switching system of claim 16 further comprising:

• a plurality of residual optical signal detectors each disposed on one of said waveguides WG′(j) for measuring a residual optical signal.

28 The wavelength-selective optical switching system of claim 16 further comprising:

• an input residual optical signal detector disposed on said input waveguide WG(0) for measuring a residual input optical signal.

29 A wavelength-selective optical switching system comprising:

• a waveguide array receiving a multiplexed optical signal comprising optical signals transmitted over a plurality of wavelength channels represented by λ1, λ2, λ3, , λN, where N is a positive integer, said waveguide array having a plurality of intersecting waveguides intersecting on a plurality of waveguide intersections;
• and
• at least a wavelength selective grating switching means disposed on at least one of said intersections for wavelength selectively switching an optical signal from a first waveguide to an intersecting waveguide.

30 The wavelength-selective optical switching system of claim 29 wherein:

• said wavelength selective grating switching means further comprising Bragg gratings provided for wavelength selectively transmitting an optical signal of a central wavelength particular to said Bragg gratings from said first waveguide to said intersecting waveguide.

31 The wavelength-selective optical switching system of claim 29 wherein:

• said wavelength selective grating switching means further comprising a bridge waveguide having a first set of Bragg gratings coupled to said first waveguide and a second set of Bragg gratings coupled to said intersecting waveguide;
• said first set of Bragg gratings are provided for wavelength selectively transmitting an optical signal of a central wavelength particular to said first set of Bragg gratings from said first waveguide to said bridge waveguide and said second set of Bragg gratings are provide for transmitting said optical signal of a central wavelength particular to said second set of Bragg gratings from said bridge waveguide to said intersecting waveguide.

32 The wavelength-selective optical switching system of claim 31 wherein:

• said bridge waveguide is a movable bridge waveguide for on/off switching said wavelength selective grating-based switch by engaging and disengaging said first and second sets of Bragg gratings to and from said first waveguides and said intersecting waveguide.

33 The wavelength-selective optical switching system of claim 29 wherein:

• said wavelength selective grating switching means further comprising movable Bragg gratings provided for wavelength selectively transmitting an optical signal of a central wavelength particular to said Bragg gratings from a first waveguide to an intersecting waveguide whereby said wavelength selection grating switching means is a on/off switchable switching means.

34 The wavelength-selective optical switching system of claim 29 wherein:

• one of said waveguide constituting an input waveguide for receiving a multiplexed optical signal comprising optical signals transmitted over a plurality of wavelength channels represented by λ1, λ2, λ3, , λN;
• and
• said wavelength selective grating switching means disposed on one of said intersections on said input waveguide for wavelength selectively switching an optical signal from said input waveguide of a particular input wavelength λj, where λj is one of the wavelengths λ1, λ2, λ3, , λN, to an intersecting waveguide.

35 The wavelength-selective optical switching system of claim 29 wherein:

• one of said waveguide constituting an input waveguide for receiving a multiplexed optical signal comprising optical signals transmitted over a plurality of wavelength channels represented by λ1, λ2, λ3, , λN;
• and
• said wavelength selective grating switching means disposed on one of said intersections on said input waveguide further comprising non-movable Bragg gratings for wavelength selectively transmitting an optical signal of wavelength λj into said intersecting waveguide.

36 The wavelength-selective optical switching system of claim 29 wherein:

• said wavelength selective grating switching disposed on one of said intersections is an on/off switchable wavelength selective grating-based switching means for selectively transmitting an optical signal of a predefined combination of wavelengths into at least one of said intersecting waveguides.

37 The wavelength-selective optical switching system of claim 29 further comprising:

• A plurality of residual optical signal detectors disposed on one of said waveguides for measuring a residual optical signal.

38 A wavelength-selective grating-based switching means disposed on an intersection between a first waveguide and an intersecting waveguide comprising:

• a plurality Bragg gratings provided for wavelength selectively transmitting an optical signal of a central wavelength particular to said Bragg gratings from said first waveguide to said intersecting waveguide.

39 The wavelength-selective grating-based switch of claim 38 further comprising:

• a bridge waveguide includes a first set of Bragg gratings coupled to said first waveguide and a second set of Bragg gratings coupled to said intersecting waveguide;
• said first set of Bragg gratings are provided for wavelength selectively transmitting an optical signal of a central wavelength particular to said first set of Bragg gratings from said first waveguide to said bridge waveguide and said second set of Bragg gratings are provide for transmitting said optical signal of a central length particular to said second set of Bragg gratings from said bridge waveguide to said intersecting waveguide.

40 The wavelength-selective grating-based switch of claim 39 wherein:

• said bridge waveguide is a movable bridge waveguide for on/off switching said wavelength selective grating-based switch by engaging and disengaging said first and second sets of Bragg gratings to and from said first waveguides and said intersecting waveguide.

41 The wavelength-selective grating-based switch of claim 38 further comprising:

• movable Bragg gratings provided for wavelength selectively transmitting an optical signal of a central wavelength particular to said Bragg gratings from a first waveguide to an intersecting waveguide whereby said wavelength selective grating-based switching means is a on/off switchable switching means.

A wavelength-selective optical switching system comprising:

• a waveguide array for receiving a multiplexed optical signal comprising optical signals transmitted over a plurality of wavelength channels, said waveguide array having a plurality of intersecting waveguides intersecting at a plurality of waveguide intersections;
• and
• at least one wavelength selective grating-based switching means disposed on at least one of said waveguide intersections for wavelength selectively switching an optical signal from a first waveguide to an intersecting waveguide.

A wavelength-selective bridge means disposed between a first waveguide and a second waveguide comprising:

• an optical switch coupled between said wavelength-selective bridge means and said first waveguide for switching an optical signal to transmit on said first waveguide or said wavelength-selective bridge means;
• and
• a plurality Bragg gratings provided for wavelength selectively transmitting an optical signal of a central wavelength particular to said Bragg gratings from said wavelength-selective bridge means to said second waveguide.