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US 7,116,480 B1Granted
Method and apparatus for optical switching
AssigneeOplink Communications, Inc.
InventorWei-Zhong Li
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An optical switch includes a first port, a second port, a first component group, a second component group, and a switching component group. The switching component group includes a reflector, a polarization beam splitter coupled to the reflector, and a polarization switch coupled to the polarization beam splitter. The first component group is coupled between the first port and the reflector in the switch component group. The second component group is coupled between the second port and the polarization beam splitter in the switch component group.
Claims24
A 2×2 optical switch comprising:
- a first port adapted to receive an optical input and generate an optical output;
- a second port adapted to receive an optical input and generate an optical output;
- a switching component group including a singular polarization switch;
- a first component group coupled between the first port and the switching component group;
- a second component group coupled between the second port and the switching component group;
- wherein,
- when the singular polarization switch is disabled, the switching component group being adapted
- to pass each light beam exiting from the first component group, each exiting light beam having a first chosen polarization, and reintroduce to the first component group the light beams without changing the polarization of the light beams, and
- to pass each light beam exiting from the second component group, each exiting light beam having a second chosen polarization, and reintroduce to the second component group the light beams without changing the polarization of the light beams, and
- when the singular polarization switch is enabled, the switching component group being adapted
- to convert light beams exiting from the first component group with the first chosen polarization into light beams entering the second component group with the second chosen polarization, and
- to convert light beams exiting from the second component group with the second chosen polarization into light beams entering the first component group with the first chosen polarization.
9 more elements
An optical switch comprising:
- a first port adapted to receive an optical input and generate an optical output;
- a second port adapted to receive an optical input and generate an optical output;
- a switching component group including:
- a reflector;
- a polarization beam splitter coupled to the reflector;
- and
- a singular polarization switch coupled to the polarization beam splitter;
- a first component group coupled between the first port and the reflector in the switching component group, the first component group operable to provide light beams, each light beam having a first polarization, to the switching component group;
- and
- a second component group coupled between the second port and the polarization beam splitter in the switching component group, the second component group operable to provide light beams, each light beam having a second polarization, to the switching component group.
7 more elements
An optical switch comprising:
- a first port adapted to receive an optical input and generate an optical output;
- a second port adapted to receive an optical input and generate an optical output;
- a switching component group including:
- a reflector;
- a polarization beam splitter coupled to the reflector;
- and
- a singular polarization switch coupled to the polarization beam splitter;
- a first component group including:
- a first birefringent material coupled to the first port;
- a structured half wavelength plate coupled to the first birefringent material, the structured half wavelength plate being operable to rotate a polarization of light passing through a first portion of the structured half wavelength plate while the polarization of light passing through a second portion of the structured half wavelength plate remains substantially unchanged;
- a second birefringent material coupled to the structured half wavelength plate;
- and
- a polarization component subgroup including a coupled half wavelength plate and a Faraday rotator, the polarization component group coupled between the second birefringent material and the reflector in the switching component group;
- and
- a second component group including:
- a first birefringent material coupled to the second port;
- a structured half wavelength plate coupled to the first birefringent material;
- a second birefringent material coupled to the structured half wavelength plate;
- and
- a polarization component subgroup including a coupled half wavelength plate and a Faraday rotator, the polarization component group coupled between the second birefringent material and the polarization beam splitter in the switching component group.
17 more elements
An optical switch comprising:
- a first port adapted to receive an optical input and generate an optical output;
- a second port adapted to receive an optical input and generate an optical output;
- a switching component group including:
- a reflector;
- a polarization beam splitter coupled to the reflector;
- and
- a singular polarization switch coupled to the polarization beam splitter;
- a first component group coupled between the first port and the reflector in the switching component group and including a non-symmetrical device, the first component group adapted to provide an optical output having a first polarization to the switching component group;
- and
- a second component group coupled between the second port and the polarization beam splitter in the switching component group and including a non-symmetrical device, the second component group adapted to provide a optical output having a second polarization to the switching component group, wherein each of the non-symmetrical devices allows for a traversal of light beams along different paths in a respective component group when the light beams pass round trip through the respective component groups.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.