Optical switch, and apparatus and method for controlling optical switch

A controlling apparatus for an optical switch comprising a wavelength spatially dispersive optical element for spatially dispersing a wavelength-multiplexed beam according to wavelengths, a plurality of output ports and a plurality of mirrors onto which beams dispersed by said wavelength spatially dispersive optical element are irradiated, each of which is able to direct a reflected beam to any one of said plural output ports by changing an angle of a reflecting surface thereof, said controlling apparatus comprising:

• a mirror controlling means for changing, when changing an incident position of the reflected beam irradiated onto any one of said output ports, an angle of a reflecting surface of a corresponding mirror among said plural mirrors to a direction other than a direction in which said mirrors are arranged.

A controlling apparatus for an optical switch comprising a wavelength spatially dispersive optical element for spatially dispersing a wavelength-multiplexed beam according to wavelengths, a plurality of output ports and a plurality of mirrors onto which beams dispersed by said wavelength spatially dispersive optical element are irradiated, each of which is being able to direct a reflected beam to any one of said plural output ports by changing an angle of a reflecting surface thereof, said controlling apparatus comprising:

• when an incident position of the reflected beam irradiated onto any one of said output port is changed, a mirror controlling means changing an angle of a reflecting surface of a corresponding mirror among said plural mirrors in a direction in which said mirrors are arranged within a range not exceeding an allowable transmittance in a portion of a side lobe of an optical transmission band characteristic at said output port.

A controlling method in an optical switch comprising a wavelength spatially dispersive optical element for spatially dispersing a wavelength-multiplexed beam according to wavelengths, a plurality of output ports and a plurality of mirrors onto which beams dispersed by said wavelength spatially dispersive optical element are irradiated, each of which is able to direct a reflected beam to any one of said output ports by changing an angle of a reflecting surface thereof, said controlling method comprising the steps of:

• changing, when an incident position of the reflected beam irradiated onto any one of said output ports is changed, an angle of a reflecting surface of a corresponding mirror among said plural mirrors in a direction other than a direction in which said mirrors are arranged.

A controlling method in an optical switch comprising a wavelength spatially dispersive optical element for spatially dispersing a wavelength-multiplexed beam according to wavelengths, a plurality of output ports and a plurality of mirrors onto which beams dispersed by said wavelength spatially dispersive optical element are irradiated, each of which is able to direct a reflected beam to any one of said plural output ports by changing an angle of a reflecting surface thereof, said controlling method comprising the steps of:

• when an incident position of the reflected beam irradiated onto any one of said output ports is changed, changing an angle of a reflecting surface of a corresponding mirror among said plural mirrors in a direction in which said mirrors are arranged within a range not exceeding an allowable transmittance in a portion of a side lobe of an optical transmission band characteristic at said output port.

An optical switch comprising a wavelength spatially dispersive optical unit for spatially dispersing an input beam and at least two output ports, said optical switch being able to switch a port from which a dispersed beam is to be outputted between two output ports by a deflecting means, said optical switch comprising:

• a controlling unit for performing a control including a step of moving a reflected beam in a direction perpendicular to a wavelength dispersion direction when the reflecting beam is directed to a position in the vicinity of at least a switched output port or an output port to be switched, and a step of moving the reflected beam in the wavelength dispersion direction in a portion other than the portion in the vicinity of the same.