Programmable optical array
AssigneeAlcatel-Lucent USA Inc.
InventorsYoung-Kai Chen, Andreas Leven, Mahmoud Rasras, Kun-Yii Tu
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Abstract
An apparatus having a topology that allows building complicated optical programmable arrays useful for manipulating the phase and/or amplitude of an optical signal. Sophisticated filtering and other optical signal processing functionality can be programmed into the array after a chip containing the array has been fabricated. This programming capability is analogous to that of electronic field programmable gate arrays (FPGA's). Apparatus described herein will provide a powerful tool for processing optical signals or very broadband electrical signals.
Claims20
A programmable optical array, comprising:
- a plurality of optical waveguides forming a rectangular grid of cells;
- a plurality of optical rings, each optical ring being located in one of the cells of the grid;
- a plurality of programmable coupling elements that controllably couple selected ones of the waveguides together;
- and
- a plurality of programmable coupling elements that controllably couple selected ones of the optical rings to selected ones of the waveguides,
- wherein the cells having an optical ring located therein, are identical to one another.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.