Trex Enterprises Corporation

Matthew Last

Yoshinao Taketomi

Edward P Davis

Hus Tigli

Eric John Korevaar

Larry DiRuscio

Yoshi Taketomi

Todd Barrott

Larry Dirvscio

Yoshinoa Taketomi

Edward Davis

Hus Tigle

A scalable optical switch especially useful for switching multimode beams carried by optical fibers. Light from an input fiber is focused by a lens which is moved in an x-y direction perpendicular to the beam direction in order to switch the beam from one output fiber to a different fiber. In preferred embodiments the beam can be directed to any one of as many as 90 output fibers. Techniques for scaling the switch to produce N&#xd7;N switches with N being large are described. Embodiments of the present invention can also be utilized to create more elaborate fiber optical switches such as an N&#xd7;N switch and a N&#xd7;N switch.

Optical fiber switch with movable lens

The present invention provides an all optical cross connect switch utilizing two-axis MEMS mirrors for cross connecting optical fibers in a first set of optical fibers to optical fibers in a second set of optical fibers. The optical fibers in the first and second sets of optical fibers are precisely positioned in a first fiber-microlens positioning array to define a first set of parallel collimated cross-connect communication beam paths, with each collimated cross-connect communication beam path connecting an optical fiber in the first set of optical fibers with a MEMS mirror in a first MEMS mirror array. Alignment beams are added to and aligned co-axially with each of the first and second sets of parallel collimated cross-connect communication beams. Two beam direction sensor units are positioned to detect each alignment beam in the first and second sets of alignment beams transmitted through the dichroic mirror and a MEMS control system controls the positions of the MEMS mirrors to connect optical fibers in the first set of optical fibers to any of the optical fibers in the second set of optical fibers.

Optical switch module

An optical fiber alignment unit for the easy precise alignment of optical fibers in and array. In a preferred embodiment the positioning array is incorporated twice in an all optical cross connect switch utilizing MEMS mirrors for cross connecting optical fibers in a first set of optical fibers to optical fibers in a second set of optical fibers. The optical fibers are preferably arranged in rectangular arrays. These arrays include array sizes such as 4&#xd7;8, 16&#xd7;16 and 8&#xd7;16. A preferred embodiment built and tested by Applicants is a modular optical switch in which an input 8&#xd7;16 array of optical fibers from sixteen eight-fiber ribbons are cross-connected into an output 8&#xd7;16 array of optical fibers also from sixteen eight-fiber ribbons.

Optical fiber array alignment unit

A MEMS mirror array in which the MEMS mirrors are driven in two axes by vertical comb drive actuators. Tortional elements with conductive comb fingers are utilized to provide the two axis actuation. A MEMS mirror control system supplies electrical voltage potentials between inside pivoting support frame conductive comb fingers and mirror frame conductive comb fingers and supplies electrical voltage potentials between MEMS mirror array support frame conductive comb fingers and outside pivoting support frame conductive comb fingers. In preferred embodiments two MEMS mirror arrays are utilized to provide beam direction in a cross connect switch.

Mems mirror array and controls

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San Diego, CA, United States of America

Matthew Last