US 5,181,134 AGranted

Photonic cross-connect switch

AssigneeAT&T Bell Laboratories

InventorsMohammad T. Fatehi, Nattu V. Srinivasan

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Abstract

This invention relates to an optical cross-connect switch which is substantially loss-less and is transparent to signal bit rate, format and modulation scheme. The optical cross-connect switch can be comprised of at least two stages of chips coupled in tandem via optical fibers. Each chip can be of lithium niobate having a plurality of digital switch elements or directional couplers which, by means of an electric field, can selectively switch optical energy from one waveguide to another. The chips are coupled together via optical fiber amplifiers and the optical fiber amplifiers are pumped by optical pumps, e.g., 1.48 .mu.m CW, laser pumps, coupled to appropriate nodes within either one or both of the chips. In operation, the pump energy is switched through the chips along with the optical data signals to pump only those optical fiber amplifiers which are in the optical data signal path.

Claims8

Dependent claims

An optical cross-connect switch comprising

a first group of crystals of dielectric material
a first group of waveguides supported by said first group of crystals of dielectric material for carrying optical signals from an input port to a selected output port,
a first group of switching means coupled to said waveguides for selectively switching optical signals from said input ports along selective waveguides to said output ports,
a second group of crystals of dielectric material,
a second group of waveguides supported by said second group of crystals of dielectric material for carrying optical signals from an input port to a selected output port,
a second group of switching means coupled to said waveguides for selectively switching optical signals from said input ports along selective waveguides to said output ports,
optical fibers interposed between the output ports of said first group of waveguides and the input ports of said second group of waveguides to form an optical fiber interconnect web,
said optical fibers comprise optical fiber amplifiers, and
pump means coupled to pump said optical fiber amplifiers from a remote location.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.