Wavelength selective switch, method for scheduling transmission direction of light beam, and optical switching node

A method performed by a wavelength selective switch for scheduling a transmission direction of a light beam, the method comprising:

• sending an input light beam to a dispersion unit through an input optical fiber;
• decomposing, by using the dispersion unit, the input light beam along a dispersion direction to obtain a plurality of light sub-beams comprising a first light sub-beam and a second light sub-beam;
• deflecting, by using a first optical switching engine, a transmission direction of the first light sub-beam along a port direction to send a deflected first light sub-beam to a first reflector, and deflecting, by using the first optical switching engine, a transmission direction of the second light sub-beam along the port direction to send a deflected second light sub-beam to a second reflector;
• reflecting, by using the first reflector, the deflected first light sub-beam along the dispersion direction to send a reflected first light sub-beam to a first area of the second optical switching engine, and reflecting, by using the second reflector, the deflected second light sub-beam along the dispersion direction to send a reflected second light sub-beam to a second area of the second optical switching engine, wherein the first area and the second area of the second optical switching engine are along the dispersion direction;
• and
• deflecting a transmission direction of the reflected first light sub-beam along the port direction through the first area of the second optical switching engine to obtain a scheduled first light sub-beam;
• sending, by using the second optical switching engine, the scheduled first light sub-beam to a first output optical fiber;
• deflecting a transmission direction of the reflected second light sub-beam along the port direction through the second area of the second optical switching engine to obtain a scheduled second light sub-beam;
• and
• sending, by using the second optical switching engine, the scheduled second light sub-beam to a second output optical fiber, wherein the first output optical fiber and the second output optical fiber are at different locations along the dispersion direction.

An optical switching node comprising:

• a plurality of wavelength selective switches comprising first and second wavelength selective switches connected through an optical fiber, wherein the first wavelength selective switch comprises:
• an input optical fiber;
• a dispersion unit;
• a first optical switching engine;
• a reflector group;
• a second optical switching engine;
• and a plurality of output optical fibers,
• wherein the input optical fiber is configured to send an input light beam to the dispersion unit, the dispersion unit is configured to decompose the input light beam along a dispersion direction to obtain a plurality of light sub-beams comprising a first light sub-beam and a second light sub-beam,
• wherein the reflector group comprises a first reflector and a second reflector, the first optical switching engine is configured to deflect a transmission direction of the first light sub-beam along a port direction to send a deflected first light sub-beam to the first reflector, and the first optical switching engine is configured to deflect a transmission direction of the second light sub-beam along the port direction to send a deflected second light sub-beam to the second reflector,
• wherein the first reflector is configured to reflect the deflected first light sub-beam along the dispersion direction to send a reflected first light sub-beam to a first area of the second optical switching engine, the second reflector is configured to reflect the deflected second light sub-beam along the dispersion direction to send a reflected second light sub-beam to a second area of the second optical switching engine, and the first area and the second area of the second optical switching engine are along the dispersion direction, and
• wherein the first area of the first optical switching engine is configured to deflect a transmission direction of the reflected first light sub-beam along the port direction to obtain a scheduled first light sub-beam, the second optical switching engine is configured to send the scheduled first light sub-beam to a first output optical fiber, the second area of the first optical switching engine is configured to deflect a transmission direction of the reflected second light sub-beam along the port direction to obtain a scheduled second light sub-beam, the second optical switching engine is configured to send the scheduled second light sub-beam to a second output optical fiber, and the first output optical fiber and the second output optical fiber are at different locations along the dispersion direction.