Optical switch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9307301-B2
Application number	US-201214239771-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 14, 2012
Priority date	Sep 16, 2011
Publication date	Apr 5, 2016
Grant date	Apr 5, 2016

Abstract

The discloser provides a multi-input and multi-output optical switch capable of switching over all WDM wavelengths. An optical switch according to one embodiment includes: an optical demultiplexing element ( 3 ) that demultiplexes an optical signal from at least one input port into individual wavelengths; a first optical deflection element ( 5 ), which deflects an incident optical signal, that deflects the wavelength-separated optical signal incoming from the optical demultiplexing element to change a traveling direction for each wavelength to a switch axis direction perpendicular to a wavelength dispersion axis direction; a second optical deflection element ( 8 ) that deflects the optical signal incoming from the first optical deflection element to change the traveling direction to the switch axis direction for output to at least one of the output ports; and an optical multiplexing element ( 10 ) that multiplexes the optical signal with the different wavelengths incoming from the second optical deflection element.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An optical switch including at least one input port and at least one output port, comprising:
an optical demultiplexing element that demultiplexes an optical signal from the at least one input port into wavelength-separated optical signals;
at least one first optical deflection element that deflects the wavelength-separated optical signal incoming from the optical demultiplexing element to change a traveling direction thereof for each wavelength;
a second optical deflection element that deflects the optical signal incoming from the first optical deflection element to be output to at least one of the output ports; and
an optical multiplexing element that multiplexes the wavelength-separated optical signals incoming from the second optical deflection element,
wherein:
the first optical deflection element and the second optical deflection element deflect the incident optical signal in a switch axis direction perpendicular to a wavelength dispersion axis direction of the optical demultiplexing element and the optical multiplexing element,
the first optical deflection element and the second optical deflection element are formed of liquid-crystal elements each having phase distribution forming a curved surface in the switch axis direction, and
a beam waist of the optical signal exists in a position located midway between the first optical deflection element and the second optical deflection element in the switch axis direction.

2. The optical switch according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first optical deflection element and the second optical deflection element includes a spatial phase modulation element having a plurality of microscopic phase modulation elements.

3. An optical switch including at least one input port and at least one output port, the optical switch comprising:
an optical demultiplexing element that demultiplexes an optical signal from the at least one input port into wavelength-separated optical signals;
at least one first optical deflection element that deflects the wavelength-separated optical signal incoming from the optical demultiplexing element to change a traveling direction thereof for each wavelength;
a second optical deflection element that deflects the optical signal incoming from the first optical deflection element to be output, to at least one of the output ports; and
an optical multiplexing element that multiplexes the wavelength-separated optical signals incoming from the second optical deflection element,
wherein:
the first optical deflection element and the second optical deflection element deflect the incident optical signal in a switch axis direction perpendicular to a wavelength dispersion axis direction of the optical demultiplexing element and the optical multiplexing element,
the first optical deflection element and the second optical deflection element are formed of liquid-crystal elements each reflecting the optical signal,
a reflecting surface of each of the first optical deflection element and the second optical deflection element has phase distribution forming a curved surface in the switch axis direction, and
a beam waist of the optical signal exists in a position located midway between the first optical deflection element and the second optical deflection element in the switch axis direction.

4. An optical switch including at least one input port and at least one output port, the optical switch comprising:
an optical demultiplexing element that demultiplexes an optical signal from the at least one input port into wavelength-separated optical signals;
at least one first optical deflection element that deflects the wavelength-separated optical signal incoming from the optical demultiplexing element to change a traveling direction thereof for each wavelength;
a second optical deflection element that deflects the optical signal incoming from the first optical deflection element to be output to at least one of the output ports; and
an optical multiplexing element that multiplexes the wavelength-separated optical signals incoming from the second optical deflection element,
wherein:
the first optical deflection element and the second optical deflection element deflect the incident optical signal in a switch axis direction perpendicular to a wavelength dispersion axis direction of the optical demultiplexing element and the optical multiplexing element,
each of the first optical deflection element and the second optical deflection element includes a MEMS mirror array with each mirror having a curvature in the switch axis direction, and
a beam waist of the optical signal exists in a position located midway between the first optical deflection element and the second optical deflection element in the switch axis direction.

5. The optical switch according to claim 1 , comprising:
at least one first optical element that converts all of the optical signals incoming from the at least one input port into parallel light in the wavelength dispersion axis direction;
at least one second optical element that converts a shape of beam in all of the optical signals incoming from the at least one input port to form parallel light in the switch axis direction;
at least one third optical element that changes the optical signal incoming from the optical demultiplexing element to convergent light in the wavelength dispersion axis direction to form a beam waist on the first optical deflection element;
at least one fourth optical element that changes the optical signal incoming from the first optical deflection element to parallel light in the wavelength dispersion axis direction;
at least one fifth optical element that changes the optical signal incoming from the fourth optical element to convergent light in the wavelength dispersion axis direction to form a beam waist on the second optical deflection element;
at least one sixth optical element that changes the optical signal incoming from the second optical deflection element to parallel light in the wavelength dispersion axis direction;
at least one seventh optical element that converts all of the optical signals from the optical multiplexing element to convergent light in the wavelength dispersion axis direction, and converts a shape of beam to be coupled to at least one of the output ports; and
at least one eighth optical element that converts all of the optical signals from the optical multiplexing element to allow a main light beam of the optical signal to converge in the switch axis direction for conversion of an optical path to be coupled to at least one of the output ports.

6. The optical switch according to claim 5 , wherein:
each of the first optical deflection element and the second optical deflection element includes an optical deflection element that reflects the optical signal;
the third optical element is shared with the fourth optical element; and
the fifth optical element is shared with the sixth optical element.

7. The optical switch according to claim 6 , comprising:
a ninth optical element that is placed between the third optical element shared with the fourth optical element and the fifth optical element shared with the sixth optical element to invert and reflect an image of the optical signal in the wavelength axis direction,
wherein the third optical element shared with the fourth optical element is also shared with the fifth optical element and the sixth optical element.

8. The optical switch according to claim 7 , wherein the third optical element, the fourth optical element, the fifth optical element and the sixth optical element are formed of the same optical element reflecting the optical signal.

9. The optical switch according to claim 5 , wherein the first

Assignees

• Suzuki Kenya
• Seno Kazunori
• Ooba Naoki
• Watanabe Toshio
• Takahashi Tetsuo
• Nippon Telegraph & Telephone

Inventors

• Suzuki Kenya
• Seno Kazunori
• Ooba Naoki
• Watanabe Toshio
• Takahashi Tetsuo

Classifications

• G02B6/3518 Primary

  the reflective optical element being an intrinsic part of a MEMS device, i.e. fabricated together with the MEMS device (MEMS devices in general B81B; manufacture of MEM devices in general B81C; micromechanical devices controlling the direction of light G02B26/0833) · CPC title

• H04Q11/0003 Primary

  Details · CPC title

• G02B6/3534

  the optical element being diffractive, i.e. a grating · CPC title