Optical Wavelength Selective Switches With Guard Bands
AssigneeNokia Solutions and Networks Oy
InventorAlan A. Fennema
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus includes an optical wavelength selective switch that includes an optical wavelength separator, a layer of liquid crystal having a two-dimensional array of s electrically operable pixel regions, and an electronic controller connected to individual apply voltages across the pixel regions. The optical wavelength separator is configured to substantially direct individual wavelength ranges of light received at an input optical port to separate lateral areas of said layer of liquid crystal. The electronic controller is configured to apply the voltages such that at least one neighboring pair of the lateral areas have refractive indexes modulated along a first direction and are separated by a guard band of the pixel regions along a different second direction.
Claims18
An apparatus, comprising:
- an optical wavelength selective switch comprising an optical wavelength separator, a layer of liquid crystal having a two-dimensional array of electrically operable pixel regions, and an electronic controller connected to individually apply voltages across the pixel regions;
- and
- wherein the optical wavelength separator is configured to substantially direct individual wavelength ranges of light received at an input optical port to separate lateral areas of said layer of liquid crystal;
- and
- wherein the electronic controller is configured to apply the voltages such that at least one neighboring pair of the lateral areas have refractive indexes modulated along a first direction and are separated by a guard band of the pixel regions along a different second direction.
A method of operating an optical wavelength selective switch, comprising:
- splitting a received light beam into wavelength ranges such that each wavelength range of the light beam is substantially directed towards a separate lateral region of a layer of liquid crystal, the layer including electrodes for separately applying voltages across a two-dimensional array of pixel regions of the layer;
- applying first voltages across the pixel regions of a neighboring pair of the lateral regions to modulate refractive indexes of the lateral regions along a first direction, the lateral regions of the neighboring pair being separated in a different second direction by a guard band of the pixel regions;
- and
- applying a same voltage across each pixel region of the guard band.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.