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US 9,521,473 B2Granted
Wavelength selective switch with increased frequency separation to avoid crosstalk
AssigneeNistica, Inc.
InventorJefferson L. Wagener
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An optical device incorporates into the same physical structure the functionality of two or more wavelength selective switches. The wavelength components associated with the first optical switch are isolated from the wavelength components associated with the second optical switch by their spatial displacement along one axis on a programmable optical phase modulator. Remaining crosstalk between the components is reduced by spatially separating the components of the two wavelength switches having the same wavelength along another axis of the programmable optical phase modulator.
Claims36
An optical device, comprising:
- an optical port array having a first plurality of ports for receiving optical beams and a second plurality of ports for receiving optical beams, an offset axis extending through both the first and second planes, the ports in the first plurality of ports being laterally displaced from the ports in the second plurality of ports along the offset axis;
- a dispersion element receiving a first of the optical beams from one of the first plurality of ports and a second of the optical beams from the second plurality of ports and spatially separating the optical beams into respective first and second pluralities of wavelength components along first and second wavelength dispersion axes that are each orthogonal to a port axis, the first plurality of ports being interleaved with the second plurality of ports along the port axis, the first plurality of ports having optical axes extending along a first direction and the second plurality of ports having optical axes extending along a second direction, the first and second directions being different from one another, at least one of the first and second directions being non-orthogonal to the port axis;
- a focusing element for focusing the first and second pluralities of wavelength components;
- and
- a programmable optical phase modulator for receiving the focused plurality of wavelength components, the modulator being configured to steer the wavelength components received from any one of the first plurality of ports to a selected one of the first plurality of ports and being further configured to steer the wavelength components received from any one of the second plurality of ports to a selected one of the second plurality of ports.
2 more elements
A method for directing wavelength components of an optical beam from an input port of a port array to at least one output port of the port array, comprising:
- receiving a first optical beam at a first input port of the port array associated with a first wavelength selective switch;
- receiving a second optical beam at a second input port of the port array associated with a second wavelength selective switch;
- magnifying the optical beam in a first direction and a second direction orthogonal to the first direction;
- after magnifying the optical beam, spatially separating the wavelength components of the first and second optical beams;
- focusing the spatially separated wavelength components onto a programmable optical phase modulator so that the wavelength components of the first and second optical beams are spatially separated along at least a pixel axis on the modulator, the wavelength components of the first optical beam being spatially offset from the wavelength components of the second optical beam along the pixel axis;
- and
- adjusting a phase shift profile of the programmable optical phase modulator to selectively direct individual ones of the wavelength components received from the first input port to another port of the port array associated with the first wavelength selective switch and being further configured to selectively direct individual ones of the wavelength components received from the second input port to another port of the port array associated with the second wavelength selective switch.
4 more elements
An optical device, comprising:
- an optical port array having a first plurality of ports for receiving optical beams and a second plurality of ports for receiving optical beams, the first plurality of ports extending in a first plane and the second plurality of ports extending in a second plane parallel to the first plane, an offset axis extending through both the first and second planes, the ports in the first plurality of ports being laterally displaced from the ports in the second plurality of ports along the offset axis;
- a dispersion element receiving a first of the optical beams from one of the first plurality of ports and a second of the optical beams from the second plurality of ports and spatially separating the optical beams into respective first and second pluralities of wavelength components along first and second wavelength dispersion axes that are each orthogonal to a port axis, the first plurality of ports having optical axes extending along a first direction and the second plurality of ports having optical axes extending along a second direction, the first and second directions being different from one another, at least one of the first and second directions being non-orthogonal to the port axis;
- a focusing element for focusing the first and second pluralities of wavelength components;
- and
- a programmable optical phase modulator for receiving the focused plurality of wavelength components, the modulator being configured to steer the wavelength components received from any one of the first plurality of ports to a selected one of the first plurality of ports and being further configured to steer the wavelength components received from any one of the second plurality of ports to a selected one of the second plurality of ports.
2 more elements
An optical device, comprising:
- an optical port array having a first plurality of ports for receiving optical beams and a second plurality of ports for receiving optical beams, an offset axis extending through both the first and second planes, the ports in the first plurality of ports being laterally displaced from the ports in the second plurality of ports along the offset axis;
- a dispersion element receiving a first of the optical beams from one of the first plurality of ports and a second of the optical beams from the second plurality of ports and spatially separating the optical beams into respective first and second pluralities of wavelength components along first and second wavelength dispersion axes that are each orthogonal to a port axis, the first plurality of ports having optical axes extending along a first direction and the second plurality of ports having optical axes extending along a second direction, the first and second directions being different from one another, at least one of the first and second directions being non-orthogonal to the port axis;
- a focusing element for focusing the first and second pluralities of wavelength components;
- and
- a programmable optical phase modulator for receiving the focused plurality of wavelength components, the modulator being configured to steer the wavelength components received from any one of the first plurality of ports to a selected one of the first plurality of ports and being further configured to steer the wavelength components received from any one of the second plurality of ports to a selected one of the second plurality of ports and;
- wherein the optical system has a first magnification factor in a first direction and a second magnification factor in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, the first magnification factor being different from the second magnification factor.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.