Thermo-optical switch using coated microsphere resonators

An optical switch comprising:

• A. a substrate;
• B. a first optical waveguide disposed on said substrate and defining a throughput channel;
• C. a second optical waveguide disposed on said substrate and defining a drop channel;
• D. at least one optical microcavity resonator constructed and arranged so as to optically interact with said throughput channel and said drop channel so that a frequency component of a light beam incident upon an input end of said throughput channel that substantially matches a resonant mode of said microcavity is coupled into said microcavity and out of said microcavity onto said drop channel;
• wherein said optical microcavity resonator includes an outer surface coated with a polymer layer;
• E. thermo-optic means for producing a temperature gradient in said microcavity resonator;
• wherein upon activation of said thermo-optic means, said resonant mode of said microcavity undergoes a frequency shift, thereby preventing said frequency component of said light beam from coupling into said microcavity and onto said drop channel.

An optical switch, comprising:

• A. a substrate;
• B. a first optical waveguide disposed on said substrate and defining a throughput channel;
• C. a plurality of optical waveguides disposed on said substrate and defining a corresponding plurality of drop channels;
• D. a plurality of optical microcavity resonators constructed and arranged so as to optically interact with said throughput channel and said plurality of drop channels so that frequency components of a light beam incident upon an input port of said throughput channel that substantially match a resonant mode of one or more of said microcavities is coupled into said microcavities and out of said microcavities onto at least one of said drop channels;
• wherein said optical microcavity resonator includes an outer surface coated with a polymer layer;
• and
• E. thermo-optic means for producing a temperature gradient in said microcavity resonators;
• wherein upon activation of said thermo-optic means, said resonant modes of said microcavity resonators undergo frequency shifts, thereby preventing coupling of said incident light beam onto said at least one drop channel.

A method for all-optical channel switching in optical communications networks, comprising:

• a. coating an optical microcavity resonator with a polymer layer;
• b. positioning said coated microcavity resonator within evanescent coupling distance of a first and a second optical waveguide;
• c. directing a signal light beam onto said first optical waveguide so that a matching frequency component of said beam propagating through said first waveguide can be evanescently coupled onto a resonant mode of said coated microcavity resonator, and out of said microcavity onto said second waveguide;
• d. heating the coated microcavity resonator so as to shift its resonant frequency, thereby eliminating coupling of said signal beam into said microcavity and out of said microcavity onto said second waveguide, and switching said signal beam from said second waveguide onto said first waveguide.