Reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10924200-B2
Application number	US-201916663521-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 25, 2019
Priority date	Apr 26, 2017
Publication date	Feb 16, 2021
Grant date	Feb 16, 2021

Abstract

A reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer includes N input ports, N output ports, M add ports and M drop ports. Each of the N input ports and each of the M add ports is respectively connected to one first polarizer. Each of the N output ports and each of the M drop ports is respectively connected to one second polarizer. A first end of the first polarizer is connected to a second end of the first polarizer, forming a loop including the first polarizer. A first end of the second polarizer is connected to a second end of the second polarizer, forming a loop including the second polarizer. An annular waveguide array is between a loop LIi and a loop LOj. A first polarizer included in the loop LIi is connected to an ith input port. A second polarizer included in the loop LOj is connected to a jth output port.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer, comprising:
N input ports;
N output ports;
M add ports; and
M drop ports,

wherein
N≥1 and M≥1
each of the N input ports and each of the M add ports is respectively connected to a corresponding first polarizer, the corresponding first polarizer being one of one or more first polarizers,
each of the N output ports and each of the M drop ports is respectively connected to a corresponding second polarizer, the corresponding second polarizer being one of two or more second polarizers,
a first end of each first polarizer of the one or more first polarizers is connected to a second end of the same first polarizer, forming a loop comprising one of the one or more first polarizers,
a first end of each second polarizer of the two or more second polarizers is connected to a second end of the same second polarizer, forming a loop comprising one of the two or more second polarizers,
an annular waveguide array is between a loop L Ii and a loop L Oj , the annular waveguide array comprising L first annular waveguide groups, where L≥1,
the loop L Ii includes one of the one or more first polarizers, and the first polarizer included in the loop L Ii is connected to an i th input port I i of the N input ports, where N≥i≥1,
the loop L Oj includes a first-second polarizer of the two or more second polarizers, and the first-second polarizer included in the loop L Oj is connected to a j th output port O j of the N output ports, where N≥j≥1,
a second annular waveguide group is between the loop L Ii and a loop L Dk ,
the loop L Dk includes a second-second polarizer of the two or more second polarizers, and the second-second polarizer included in the loop L Dk is connected to a k th drop port D k of the M drop ports, where M≥k≥1,
the input port I i is configured to receive a first optical signal set,
the corresponding first polarizer of the one or more first polarizers connected to the input port I i is configured to:
perform a polarization beam splitting on optical signals included in the first optical signal set to obtain a second optical signal set and a third optical signal set; and
output the second optical signal set and the third optical signal set, the second annular waveguide group is configured to:
receive a first optical signal in the second optical signal set and a second optical signal in the third optical signal set; and
transmit the first optical signal and the second optical signal to the drop port D k ,

both a wavelength of the first optical signal and a wavelength of the second optical signal are the same as a resonant wavelength of the second annular waveguide group,
the second-second polarizer connected to the drop port D k is configured to:
perform a polarization beam combination on the first optical signal and the second optical signal; and
output an optical signal obtained after the polarization beam combination,

the annular waveguide array is configured to:
receive a first optical signal subset in the second optical signal set and a second optical signal subset in the third optical signal set; and
transmit the first optical signal subset and the second optical signal subset to the output port O j ,

wavelengths of optical signals included in the first optical signal subset are in a one-to-one correspondence with wavelengths of optical signals included in the second optical signal subset, and
the first-second polarizer connected to the output port O j is configured to:
perform a polarization beam combination on the first optical signal subset and the second optical signal subset, and
output an optical signal obtained after the polarization beam combination.

2. The reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer according to claim 1 , wherein
the corresponding first polarizer is one of two or more first polarizers,
the first polarizer included in the loop L Ii is a first-first polarizer of the two or more first polarizers,
a third annular waveguide group is between the loop L Oj and a loop L Ak ,
the loop L Ak includes a second-first polarizer of the two or more first polarizers, and the second-first polarizer included in the loop L Ak is connected to a k th add port A k of the M add ports,
the add port A k is configured to receive a third optical signal,
the second-first polarizer connected to the add port A k is configured to:
perform a polarization beam splitting on the third optical signal to obtain a fourth optical signal and a fifth optical signal; and
output the fourth optical signal and the fifth optical signal, the third annular waveguide group is configured to:
receive the fourth optical signal and the fifth optical signal; and
transmit the fourth optical signal and the fifth optical signal to the output port O j ,

a wavelength of the fourth optical signal is the same as a wavelength of the fifth optical signal and is different from a wavelength of an optical signal included in the first optical signal subset, and
the first-second polarizer connected to the output port O j is configured to:
perform a polarization beam combination on the first optical signal subset, the second optical signal subset, the fourth optical signal, and the fifth optical signal; and
output an optical signal obtained after the polarization beam combination.

3. The reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer according to claim 2 , wherein
each of the L first annular waveguide groups is coupled with the loop L Ii and the loop L Oj ,
the first annular waveguide group comprises X annular waveguides, where X≥1, and when X>1, any two adjacent annular waveguides in the X annular waveguides are coupled with each other,
the second annular waveguide group comprises Y annular waveguides, where Y≥1, and when Y>1, any two adjacent annular waveguides in the Y annular waveguides are coupled with each other, and
the third annular waveguide group comprises Z annular waveguides, where Z≥1, and when Z>1, any two adjacent annular waveguides in the Z annular waveguides are coupled with each other.

4. The reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer according to claim 1 , wherein
the first end of each first polarizer of the one or more first polarizers is connected to the second end of the same first polarizer by using a first waveguide, and
the first end of each second polarizer of the two or more second polarizers is connected to the second end of the same second polarizer by using a second waveguide.

5. The reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer according to claim 1 , wherein at least one first polarizer is a polarization beam splitting rotator, and at least one second polarizer is a polarization rotation beam combiner.

6. A method in a reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer (ROADM), wherein the ROADM comprises:
N input ports;
N output ports;
M add ports; and
M drop ports,

where N≥1 and M≥1,
each of the N input ports and each of the M add ports is respectively connected to a corresponding first polarizer, the corresponding first polarizer being one of one or more first polarizers,
each of the N output ports and each of the M drop ports is respectively connected to a corresponding second polarizer, the corresponding second polarizer being one of two or more second polarizers,
a first end of each first polarizer of the one or more first polarizers is connected to a second end of the same first polarizer, forming a loop comprising one of the one or more first polarizers,
a first end of each second polarizer of the two or more second polarizers is connected to a second end of the same second polarizer, forming a loop comprising one of the two or more second polarizers,
an annular waveguide array is between a loop L Ii and a loop L

Assignees

• Huawei Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ji Ruiqiang
• Fu Shengmeng
• Li Yanbo
• Zhang Lewei
• Zeng Li

Classifications

• G02B6/29302 Primary

  based on birefringence or polarisation, e.g. wavelength dependent birefringence, polarisation interferometers · CPC title

• G02B6/29395 Primary

  configurable, e.g. tunable or reconfigurable (switching G02B6/35) · CPC title

• G02B6/27

  with polarisation selective and adjusting means · CPC title

• G02B6/2773

  Polarisation splitting or combining · CPC title

• G02B6/29343

  Cascade of loop resonators · CPC title