US 5,446,809 AGranted

All fiber wavelength selective optical switch

AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation

InventorsDaniel J. Fritz, Timothy J. Bailey, Gary A. Ball

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Abstract

An all fiber wavelength selective optical switch has one or more 1.times.N input optical couplers 20,120, each having an input signal with a plurality of wavelengths .lambda..sub.1, .lambda..sub.2, .lambda..sub.3. The output signals from the couplers 20,120 are connected to fibers 26,32,126,158 having Bragg gratings impressed therein, each having a central reflection wavelength, and each having a tuner attached thereto for detuning a central reflection wavelength of the gratings from a base wavelength corresponding to a wavelength of the input signal. For a given grating to pass a particular wavelength of the input signal that grating must be detuned. The fibers 26,32,126,158 are also connected to one or more N.times.1 couplers 66,98 to combine input signals from to different input couplers. The switch allows any combination of input wavelengths from any input signal to be selectively switched to one or more output ports.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A wavelength selective optical switch, comprising:

input optical coupling means, having an input port and at least one output port, for optically coupling an input signal at said input port to at least one output port, said input signal having at least one input wavelength;
an optical waveguide attached to each of said at least one output port;
at least one optical reflective element located along said optical waveguide, said reflective element reflecting a predetermined wavelength band of light centered at a predetermined central wavelength;
said central wavelength being at a base wavelength when said reflective element is not detuned, said base wavelength corresponding to a corresponding wavelength of said input signal;
tuning means, attached to said reflective element, for detuning said central wavelength away from said base wavelength so as to pass said corresponding wavelength of said input signal;
and
thereby allowing any combination of the wavelengths of said input signal to be passed through all of said reflective elements along a given one of said waveguides as an optical output signal along an associated optical output waveguide.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/311,644Filed 23 Sep 1994
Granted: 29 Aug 1995
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification16 codes

G02B 6/351
Having switching means: involving stationary waveguides with moving interposed optical elements
G02B 6/2932
With a cascade of diffractive elements or of diffraction operations: comprising a directional router, e.g. directional coupler, circulator
G02B 6/29322
Light guides of the optical fibre type: diffractive elements of the tunable type
G02B 6/3534
Involving stationary waveguides with moving interposed optical elements: the optical element being diffractive, i.e. a grating