Multicast wavelength selective switch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9913008-B1
Application number	US-201715615415-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jun 6, 2017
Priority date	Jun 6, 2017
Publication date	Mar 6, 2018
Grant date	Mar 6, 2018

Abstract

A wavelength selective switch (WSS) may include a first port array including input ports, each to launch a respective beam of light, and a dispersive element to separate, in a lateral direction, a beam of light, launched by one of the input ports, into dispersed wavelength channel sub-beams. The WSS may include a switching array to direct the dispersed wavelength channel sub-beams, at respective angles in a vertical direction. The dispersive element may converge groups of dispersed wavelength channel sub-beams in the lateral direction to form wavelength channel sub-beams. The WSS may include a splitting element to split, in the lateral direction, a wavelength channel sub-beam, of the wavelength channel sub-beams, into split wavelength channel sub-beams. The WSS may include switching elements to direct the split wavelength channel sub-beams at respective angles in the vertical direction, and output ports associated with the switching elements.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wavelength selective switch, comprising:
a first port array including M (M>1) input ports, each to launch a respective beam of light;
a dispersive element to separate a beam of light, launched by one of the M input ports, into L (L>1) dispersed wavelength channel sub-beams,
the L dispersed wavelength channel sub-beams being separated in a lateral direction;

a switching array to direct the L dispersed wavelength channel sub-beams, each at a respective angle in a vertical direction;
the dispersive element to converge groups of dispersed wavelength channel sub-beams to form X (X≧1) wavelength channel sub-beams,
the groups of dispersed wavelength channel sub-beams being converged with respect to the lateral direction, and
at least one of the L dispersed wavelength channel sub-beams being included in the groups of dispersed wavelength channel sub-beams;

a splitting element to split a wavelength channel sub-beam, of the X wavelength channel sub-beams, into K (K>1) split wavelength channel sub-beams,
the K split wavelength channel sub-beams being split in the lateral direction;

K switching elements, each to direct one of the K split wavelength channel sub-beams at a respective angle in the vertical direction; and
K output ports, each associated with one of the K switching elements.

2. The wavelength selective switch of claim 1 , where the K switching elements are included in a K×N switching array and the K output ports are included in an array of K×N output ports.

3. The wavelength selective switch of claim 1 , further comprising a lens to convert lateral angles of the K split wavelength channel sub-beams, introduced at the splitting element, into lateral offsets at the K switching elements.

4. The wavelength selective switch of claim 3 , where the lens has a focal length, and where the lens is arranged at a distance equal to the focal length from splitting element and at a distance equal to the focal length from the K switching elements.

5. The wavelength selective switch of claim 1 , further comprising a set of lenses to create, at the K switching elements and from the K split wavelength channel sub-beams, K replicated images of the wavelength channel sub-beam impinging on the splitting element.

6. The wavelength selective switch of claim 5 , where the set of lenses includes a first lens with a first focal length and a second lens with a second focal length,
where the first lens is arranged at the first focal length from the splitting element and the second lens is arranged at the second focal length from the K switching elements, and
where the first lens is separated from the second lens by a distance equal to a sum of the first focal length and the second focal length.

7. The wavelength selective switch of claim 5 , where the K replicated images are inverted at the K switching elements as compared to the wavelength channel sub-beam impinging on the splitting element.

8. The wavelength selective switch of claim 1 , where at least one of the K switching elements includes a tunable filter.

9. The wavelength selective switch of claim 1 , further comprising:
a lens to convert lateral angles of the K split wavelength channel sub-beams, introduced at the splitting element, into lateral offsets at a multi-faceted prism;
the multi-faceted prism to further separate the K split wavelength channel sub-beams at the K switching elements in the lateral direction; and
K lenses optically disposed between the multi-faceted prism and the K switching elements.

10. The wavelength selective switch of claim 1 , where the wavelength selective switch is in a co-packaged configuration with another wavelength selective switch such that the wavelength selective switch and the other wavelength selective switch share imaging optics and the dispersive element.

11. An optical device, comprising:
a first port array including a plurality of input ports, each to launch a respective beam of light;
a first dispersive element to separate a beam of light, launched by one of the plurality of input ports, into a plurality of dispersed wavelength channel sub-beams,
the plurality of dispersed wavelength channel sub-beams being separated in a first direction;

a switching array to direct the plurality of dispersed wavelength channel sub-beams, each at a respective angle in a second direction,
the second direction being substantially perpendicular to the first direction;

a second dispersive element to converge groups of dispersed wavelength channel sub-beams to form a plurality of wavelength channel sub-beams,
the groups of dispersed wavelength channel sub-beams being converged with respect to the first direction, and
the groups of dispersed wavelength channel sub-beams including at least one of the plurality of dispersed wavelength channel sub-beams;

a splitting element to split a wavelength channel sub-beam, of the plurality of wavelength channel sub-beams, into a plurality of split wavelength channel sub-beams,
the plurality of split wavelength channel sub-beams being split in the first direction;

a plurality of switching elements, each to direct one of the plurality of split wavelength channel sub-beams at a respective angle in the second direction; and
a plurality of output ports, each associated with one of the plurality of switching elements.

12. The optical device of claim 11 , where the first dispersive element and the second dispersive element are the same dispersive element.

13. The optical device of claim 11 , further comprising a lens to convert angles of the plurality of split wavelength channel sub-beams in the first direction into offsets at the plurality of switching elements.

14. The optical device of claim 11 , further comprising imaging optics to create, at the plurality of switching elements and from the plurality of split wavelength channel sub-beams, a plurality of replicated images of the wavelength channel sub-beam impinging on the splitting element.

15. The optical device of claim 11 , further comprising:
a lens to convert angles of the plurality of split wavelength channel sub-beams in the first direction into offsets at a multi-faceted prism in the first direction;
the multi-faceted prism to further separate the plurality of split wavelength channel sub-beams at the plurality of switching elements in the first direction; and
a plurality of lenses optically disposed between the multi-faceted prism and the plurality of switching elements.

16. A wavelength selective switch, comprising:
K input ports, each to launch one of K wavelength channel sub-beams;
K switching elements, each to direct one of the K wavelength channel sub-beams at a respective angle in a vertical direction, the respective angles in the vertical direction corresponding to respective desired output ports;
a combining element to converge the K wavelength channel sub-beams to form a combined wavelength channel sub-beam,
the K wavelength channel sub-beams being converged in a lateral direction;

a dispersive element to separate the combined wavelength channel sub-beam, into a set of dispersed wavelength channel sub-beams,
each of the set of dispersed wavelength channel sub-beams receiving a deviation in a lateral direction corresponding to a respective wavelength;

a switching array to direct the set of dispersed wavelength channel sub-beams, each at a respective angle for coupling to one of M (M>1) output ports;
the dispersive element to converge groups of dispersed wavelength channel sub-beams to form a set of output beams,
the groups of dispersed wavelength channel sub-b

Assignees

• Lumentum Operations Llc

Inventors

• Keyworth Barrie P
• Colbourne Paul

Classifications

• G02B6/32

  having lens focusing means {positioned between opposed fibre ends (with lens being an integral part of the single fibre end G02B6/262)} · CPC title

• G02B6/356

  in an optical cross-connect device, e.g. routing and switching aspects of interconnecting different paths propagating different wavelengths to (re)configure the various input and output links (switching polarized beams G02B6/3594; power equalizers G02B6/356 and G02B6/3594; path selecting means H04Q11/0001) · CPC title

• G02B6/351

  involving stationary waveguides with moving interposed optical elements (G02B6/3538 takes precedence; interposed waveguides G02B6/3502) · CPC title

• 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

• G02B6/3556

  NxM switch, i.e. regular arrays of switches elements of matrix type constellation · CPC title