Capella Photonics, Inc.

Alcatel Lucent

Jeffrey E Ehrlich

Long Yang

Mark H Garrett

Massimo Martinelli

Mike J Darling

Lu Cheng

A configurable wavelength-selective cross-connect (WSXC) device having an array of optical ports in which at least some of the ports are configurable to operate as common ports or as plural ports. The configurable WSXC device includes a MEMS mirror array whose mirrors are tiltable in a manner that enables, e.g., reconfigurations of the configurable WSXC device that result in a change of the number of common ports therein. In one possible configuration, the configurable WSXC device can operate as 1&#xd7;Mwavelength-selective switch, where M+1&#x2266;P, and P is the total number of optical ports in the array of optical ports. In another possible configuration, the configurable WSXC device can operate as a bank of n 1&#xd7;Mwavelength-selective switches, where n is a positive integer greater than one, and n(M+1)&#x2266;P.

Wavelength-selective cross-connect device having a variable number of common ports

Optical switches can include collimator elements that accommodate two or more optical ports. This increases the number of ports the switch can accommodate without having to increase the size of other optical components within the switch. Separate deflectors can be used to accommodate optical signals from two different groups of ports. In some embodiments cross-coupling of signals between the two groups can be accomplished through use of re-direction optics.

Wavelength switch system using angle multiplexing optics

An optical apparatus can include an optical port array having an M&#xd7;N array of fiber collimator ports. The array of ports is configured such that there is a gap within each column of ports located between two rows of ports. The gap is wide enough to permit a hitless beam switching trajectory to pass between the two rows of ports from one side of the array of ports to an opposite side.

Port array topology for high port count wavelength selective switch

An optical assembly for double passing a transmission grating may include a prism having first, second and third surfaces. A transmission grating may be bonded to the first surface. A first mirror coating may be bonded to the second surface and a second mirror coating to the third surface. The first, second and third surfaces, the transmission grating and the first and second mirror coatings are configured such that light of a predetermined wavelength entering the prism that is incident on the transmission grating is diffracted a first time by the transmission grating towards the second surface, reflected from the second surface to the third surface, reflected from the third surface back to the transmission grating, and diffracted a second time by the transmission grating as the light exits the prism.

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Jeffrey E Ehrlich