Optical switch with a geometry based on perpendicularly-oriented planar lightwave circuit switches
AssigneeAgilent Technologies, Inc.
InventorsJonathan Lacey, Brian Lemoff, Julie Fouquet
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An optical switch has a plurality of input ports and a plurality of output ports. The optical switch features a fan-out fan-in architecture has a fan-out stage, a fan-in stage, and a coupling mechanism. The fan-out stage is coupled to the plurality of input ports and has a first orientation. The fan-in stage is coupled to the plurality of output ports and has a second orientation. The coupling mechanism optically couples the fan-out stage with the fan-in stage and maintains a predetermined relationship between the first orientation of the fan-out stage and the second orientation of the fan-in stage.
Claims20
An optical switch comprising:
- a) a plurality of input ports;
- b) a plurality of output ports;
- c) a fan-out fan-in architecture;
- wherein the fan-out fan-in architecture includes
- a fan-out stage coupled to the plurality of inputs ports that has a first orientation;
- output waveguides coupled to the fan-out stage, each of the output waveguides having a tapered end;
- a fan-in stage coupled to the plurality of output ports that has a second orientation;
- input waveguides coupled to the fan-in stage, each of the input waveguides having a tapered end;
- and
- a coupling mechanism for optically coupling the tapered end of each of the output waveguides with the tapered end of a corresponding one of the input waveguides and for maintaining a predetermined relationship between the first orientation of the fan-out stage and the second orientation of the fan-in stage.
An optical switch comprising:
- a) a plurality of input ports;
- b) a plurality of output ports;
- c) a group of fan-out switches coupled to the plurality of input ports;
- wherein the fan-out switches are stacked in a first set of planes in a first orientation that is substantially parallel to a first reference plane, and wherein each of the fan-out switches has an output waveguide coupled thereto, each of the output waveguides having a tapered end;
- and
- d) a group of fan-in switches coupled to the plurality of output ports;
- wherein the group of fan-in switches are stacked in a second set of planes in a second orientation that is substantially parallel to a second reference plane, and wherein each of the fan-in switches has an input waveguide coupled thereto, each of the input waveguides having a tapered end coupled to the tapered end of a corresponding one of the output waveguides;
- wherein the first reference plane is in a predetermined orientation with respect to the second reference plane.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.