Wavelength division multiplexed optical networks
AssigneeLucent Technologies Inc.
InventorsVladimir A. Aksyuk, Bradley P. Barber, David J. Bishop, Clinton R. Giles, Lawrence W. Stulz, Rene R. Ruel
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Abstract
Arrayed waveguide grating routers are used to form 1.times.N demultiplexers and N.times.1 multiplexers to form channel drop modules in a WDM optical network. The demultiplexer and the multiplexer are interconnected by optical waveguides in which are inserted optical switches provided by MEMs devices that can be used to reflect incident optical signals backwards for dropping channels or to both transmit and reflect incident optical signals to drop and detect channels.
Claims17
For use in a wavelength division multiplexed optical network, a reconfigurable channel drop module comprising:
- an optical demultiplexer to which an input is to be applied;
- an optical multiplexer from which an output is to be obtained;
- a plurality of optical waveguides interconnecting output ports of the demultiplexer to input ports of the multiplexer, at least some of the waveguides including a gap along its wave path;
- and
- a micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMs) device associated with at least some of said waveguides that include a gap along its wave path, each such MEMs device including a shutter element that can be controllably inserted in the gap of its associated waveguide for reflecting controllably incident light backwards to an output port of the demultiplexer for exit at the input port of the multiplexer.
For use in a wave division multiplexed optical network, a reconfigurable drop module comprising:
- an input and an output arrayed waveguide grating router for optical signals,
- optical waveguides interconnecting output ports of said input arrayed waveguide grating router to input ports of said output arrayed waveguide grating router, and a MEMs optical switch in interconnecting waveguides for selectively reflecting optical signals emanating from the output ports of said input arrayed waveguide grating route for backward travel through the output ports of said input arrayed waveguide grating router for exit at its input port.
A reconfigurable channel drop module comprising:
- an optical demultiplexer to which an input optical signal is to be supplied;
- an optical multiplexer from which an output optical signal is to be abstract;
- a plurality of optical waveguides interconnecting output ports of the demultiplexer to input ports of the multiplexer;
- a MEMs device associated with at least one of said optical waveguides that includes a gap along its wave path, said MEMs device including a shutter that can be controllably inserted in said gap for diverting light from said waveguide for exit at other than the output port associated with said waveguide.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.