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US 2003/0113055 A1Published application
Solid-state optical wavelength switches
AssigneeAgiltron, Inc.
InventorsJing Zhao, Xianfeng Lin
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AssigneeAgiltron, Inc.
InventorsJing Zhao, Xianfeng Lin
Estimating the term…
The present invention provides improved optical wavelength switches in which no mechanical movement is required to direct optical pathways between plural fiber ports. The inventive three fiber ports devices divide the incoming optical signals into two subsets of spectrums and selectively direct them into two output ports in response to an electrical control signal. In the inventive switch, an optical signal is spatially split into two polarized beams by a birefringent element, which pass through a series polarization rotation elements and recombine into output fibers, achieving polarization independent operation. Advantageously, the inventive switches incorporate two-stage polarization rotations to improve isolation depth, as well as temperature and wavelength independence. The inventive switches also incorporate light bending devices to allow two fibers to be coupled to the light beams using a single lens achieving small beam separation for compactness. The switches of the present invention rely on electro-magnetically or electro-optically switching the beam polarizations from one state to another to rapidly direct the light path.
An optical switch for selectively directing light with a certain set of spectrum from a first fiber to a second fiber or to a third fiber and directing light with another set of spectrum from said first fiber to said third fiber or to said second fiber, said second fiber and said third fiber being located adjacent to each other along a longitudinal axis, said optical switch comprising along said longitudinal axis in sequence from said first fiber to said second and third fibers:
A reflection mode optical wavelength switch for selectively directing light with a certain set of spectrum from a first fiber to a second fiber or to a third fiber and directing light with another set of spectrum from said first fiber to said third fiber or to said second fiber, on the same side of said first fiber said second fiber and said third fiber being located adjacent to each other along a longitudinal axis, said optical switch comprising along said longitudinal axis in sequence:
A reflection mode optical wavelength interleaver for directing light with a certain set of spectrum from a first fiber to a second fiber or to a third fiber and directing light with another set of spectrum from said first fiber to said third fiber or to said second fiber, on the same side of said first fiber said second fiber and said third fiber being located adjacent to each other along a longitudinal axis, said optical switch comprising along said longitudinal axis in sequence:
A reflection optical switch for directing light from a first fiber to a second fiber or to a third fiber, on the same side of said first fiber said second fiber and said third fiber being located adjacent to each other along a longitudinal axis, said optical switch comprising along said longitudinal axis in sequence from said first fiber to said second and third fibers:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.