Reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexers with servo control and dynamic spectral power management capabilities
DC CAFCFirst Claim
1. A wavelength-separating-routing apparatus, comprising:
- a) multiple fiber collimators, providing an input port for a multi-wavelength optical signal and a plurality of output ports;
b) a wavelength-separator, for separating said multi-wavelength optical signal from said input port into multiple spectral channels;
c) a beam-focuser, for focusing said spectral channels into corresponding spectral spots; and
d) a spatial array of channel micromirrors positioned such that each channel micromirror receives one of said spectral channels, said channel micromirrors being pivotal about two axes and being individually and continuously controllable to reflect said corresponding received spectral channels into any selected ones of said output ports and to control the power of said received spectral channels coupled into said output ports.
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Accused Products
Abstract
This invention provides a novel wavelength-separating-routing (WSR) apparatus that uses a diffraction grating to separate a multi-wavelength optical signal by wavelength into multiple spectral characters, which are then focused onto an array of corresponding channel micromirrors. The channel micromirrors are individually controllable and continuously pivotable to reflect the spectral channels into selected output ports. As such, the inventive WSR apparatus is capable of routing the spectral channels on a channel-by-channel basis and coupling any spectral channel into any one of the output ports. The WSR apparatus of the present invention may be further equipped with servo-control and spectral power-management capabilities, thereby maintaining the coupling efficiencies of the spectral channels into the output ports at desired values. The WSR apparatus of the present invention can be used to construct a novel class of dynamically reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexers (OADMs) for WDM optical networking applications.
31 Citations
67 Claims
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1. A wavelength-separating-routing apparatus, comprising:
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a) multiple fiber collimators, providing an input port for a multi-wavelength optical signal and a plurality of output ports; b) a wavelength-separator, for separating said multi-wavelength optical signal from said input port into multiple spectral channels; c) a beam-focuser, for focusing said spectral channels into corresponding spectral spots; and d) a spatial array of channel micromirrors positioned such that each channel micromirror receives one of said spectral channels, said channel micromirrors being pivotal about two axes and being individually and continuously controllable to reflect said corresponding received spectral channels into any selected ones of said output ports and to control the power of said received spectral channels coupled into said output ports. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A servo-based optical apparatus comprising:
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a) multiple fiber collimators, providing an input port for a multi-wavelength optical signal and a plurality of output ports; b) a wavelength-separator, for separating said multi-wavelength optical signal from said input port into multiple spectral channels; c) a beam-focuser, for focusing said spectral channels into corresponding spectral spots; and d) a spatial array of channel micromirrors positioned such that each channel micromirror receives one of said spectral channels, said channel micromirrors being individually controllable to reflect said spectral channels into selected ones of said output ports; and e) a servo-control assembly, in communication with said channel micromirrors and said output ports, for maintaining a predetermined coupling of each reflected spectral channel into one of said output ports. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. An optical apparatus comprising:
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a) an array of fiber collimators, providing an input port for a multi-wavelength optical signal and a plurality of output ports; b) a wavelength-separator, for separating said multi-wavelength optical signal from said input port into multiple spectral channels; c) a beam-focuser, for focusing said spectral channels into corresponding spectral spots; d) a spatial array of channel micromirrors positioned such that each channel micromirror receives one of said spectral channels, said channel micromirrors being individually and continuously controllable to reflect said spectral channels into selected ones of said output ports; and e) a one-dimensional array of collimator-alignment mirrors, for adjusting an alignment of said multi-wavelength optical signal from said input port and directing said reflected spectral channels into said output ports. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. An optical apparatus comprising:
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a) an array of fiber collimators, providing an input port for a multi-wavelength optical signal and a plurality of output ports; b) a wavelength-separator, for separating said multi-wavelength optical signal from said input port into multiple spectral channels; c) a beam-focuser, for focusing said spectral channels into corresponding spectral spots; d) a spatial array of channel micromirrors positioned such that each channel micromirror receives one of said spectral channels, said channel micromirrors being individually and continuously controllable to reflect said spectral channels into selected ones of said output ports; and e) a two-dimensional array of collimator-alignment mirrors, for adjusting an alignment of said multi-wavelength optical signal from said input port and directing said reflected spectral channels into said output ports. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. An optical system comprising a wavelength-separating-routing apparatus, wherein said wavelength-separating-routing apparatus includes:
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a) an array of fiber collimators, providing an input port for a multi-wavelength optical signal and a plurality of output ports including a pass-through port and one or more drop ports; b) a wavelength-separator, for separating said multi-wavelength optical signal from said input port into multiple spectral channels; c) a beam-focuser, for focusing said spectral channels into corresponding spectral spots; and d) a spatial array of channel micromirrors positioned such that each channel micromirror receives one of said spectral channels, said channel micromirrors being pivotal about two axes and being individually and continuously pivotable controllable to reflect said corresponding received spectral channels into any selected ones of said output ports and to control the power of said received spectral channels coupled into said output ports, whereby said pass-through port receives a subset of said spectral channels. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60)
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61. A method of performing dynamic wavelength separating and routing, comprising:
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a) receiving a multi-wavelength optical signal from an input port; b) separating said multi-wavelength optical signal into multiple spectral channels; c) focusing said spectral channels onto a spatial array of corresponding beam-deflecting elements, whereby each beam-deflecting element receives one of said spectral channels; and d) dynamically and continuously controlling said beam-deflecting elements, thereby directing in two dimensions to direct said spectral channels into a plurality any selected ones of said output ports and to control the power of the spectral channels coupled into said selected output ports. - View Dependent Claims (62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67)
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Specification