Jds Uniphase Corporation

Other

Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, As Represented by the Minister

Jds Fitel Inc.

Canadian Patents and Development Limited/societe Canadienne Des Brevets

Canadian Patents & Development Ltd.

Robert I MacDonald

Thomas Ducellier

Paul Colbourne

Barrie P Keyworth

Mohiuddin Mala

Rajiv Iyer

Dennis K Lam

Neil Teitelbaum

Kenneth O Hill

Elmer H Hara

Brian S Kawasaki

W John Tomlinson

Jozef Straus

Carey M Garrett

Alan J P Hnatiw

Jasvinder Obhi

Julian P Noad

David John Danagher

Paul H Beckwith

Phillipe Lonjoux

Karen Stauss

Louis B Allard

Arthur L Poirier

Andrew Tsiboulia

Lianxiang Yang

A wavelength blocker including an input port for launching an input beam of light, first dispersing means for dispersing the input beam of light according to wavelength, an array of independently addressable elements for selectively blocking a portion of the dispersed beam of light, second dispersing means for receiving the passed dispersed beam of light and for producing a single multiplexed beam of light therefrom, and an output port for transmitting a modified output beam of light. The array of independently addressable elements are designed such that the wavelength blocker is capable of blocking a variable number of non-consecutive channels without significantly affecting the unblocked channels.

Wavelength blocker

The invention provides polarization state changer and a phase shifter for shifting a phase of an optical signal including a waveguide having a waveguiding region for guiding the optical signal therethrough, a substrate for supporting said waveguide, and means for inducing stress on the waveguiding region for shifting the phase of the optical signal. The stress is induced by MEMS means. The MEMS means are monolithically formed on the substrate and can be actuated by electrostatical force, mechanical force, or tiltable flaps.

Methods and structures for the control of optical waveguide devices by stress

A high capacity cross-connect in which a 3D switch core includes express paths that facilitate cascading of cross-connect blocks. A light beam propagates from an input waveguide to a first MEMS mirror, which deflects the light beam to either an express optical path or a switching optical path. In the express optical path, the light beam propagates from the first MEMS mirror to a predetermined output waveguide, which is determined by the design of the switch core. In the switching optical path, the light beam propagates from the first MEMS mirror to a second MEMS mirror, which deflects the light beam to a selected one of a set of two or more output waveguides associated with the second MEMS mirror.

Cascadable large optical cross-connect

The present invention relates to a multi-stage non-blocking optical switch matrix having failure protection. The optical switch includes failure protection in the form of a capacity to provide an alternative route for any connection, including rearrangeable protection to provide alternative routes for multiple connections, as required, and to permit replacement of any failed submatrix module without service interruption. The present invention provides both internal and external protection from system failure in a multi-stage optical switch matrix by providing interconnected modules in a first external stage. The modules are interconnected by rerouting ports for redirecting signals from an input/output port on one external switch module to another external switch module. Protection is further provided through a center stage having a number of center stage switch modules, fully connected to the external modules, equal to twice the number of input/output ports and rerouting ports on an external module. With this structure, a failure at any point in the switch sub-matrices can be avoided, so that rearrangeable non-blocking performance can be obtained. In the case of a failure, a signal can be rerouted, additional signal paths can be rearranged, and faulty modules can be removed and replaced without affecting non-blocking switch performance.

Optical switch matrix with failure protection

An optical device comprises a dispersion element, a reflector, and an angle-to-offset (ATO) element. The angle-to-offset (ATO) element has optical power. The dispersion element is positioned in or near a focal plane of the ATO element and adapted to separate an input wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) light beam received from an input port of the optical device into two or more channel light beams. The reflector is positioned in or near a focal plane of the ATO element and arranged to receive the channel light beams from the dispersion element via the ATO element. The reflector is designed to reflect at least one of the channel light beams toward a respective output port of the optical device. With this arrangement, the dispersion element, reflector and ATO element cooperate to optically demultiplex the input WDM light beam. Additional optical elements arranged in the propagation path between the reflector and the output port(s) and/or between the input port and the dispersion element can be used to provide further optical signal processing functionality such as dynamic channel equalization, add drop, or wavelength switching.

Wavelength-dependent optical signal processing using an angle-to-offset module

The invention provides an optical switch having an input port for launching a beam of light into the optical switch, at least two output ports, each output port for selectively receiving a beam of light, an ATO element having optical power for providing an angle to offset transformation, and beam directing means for selectively directing a beam of light from the input port to a selected one of the at least two output ports along an optical path via the ATO element. The ATO element is a lens or a mirror.

Optical switch

An optical switching device for controlling an optical signal is disclosed. The optical switching device is in the form of an optical loop, the loop having two ports for launching or receiving light. A switching element is interposed within the loop for selectively launching light to one of the two ports. The switching element has a polarization rotating element for rotating the polarization of light incident thereon and a wavelength dependent filter disposed to bypass the polarization rotating element or direct a signal propagating within the loop through the polarization rotating element in dependence upon wavelength.

Optical switching device

The invention provides a fast variable optical attenuator including a reflective membrane that serves as a varifocal mirror. Electrostatic deflection of the mirror defocuses the optical system and attenuates an optical signal launched to the mirror from an input port to an output port. Since the mirror is generally limited to deflections less than 1 micron, fast attenuation within a small (<5 dB) dynamic range is achieved. The dynamic range is improved by combining the fast attenuator with a slower attenuator. In the preferred embodiment, the slow and fast attenuator are not coupled via optical waveguides, but rather are optically coupled via free space or are integrated in the same device. Advantageously, this compact arrangement reduces the excess loss associated with optical fiber coupling and lowers packaging costs.

Fast attenuator

The invention discloses an optical deflection switch which uses the output focal plane of a lens more effectively. This is achieved by combining a tapered block of a light-transmissive material having a reflective surface and a second face, wherein the second face includes an input/output port and the reflective surface provides reflection of a beam of light passing through the input/output port into the tapered block with a first block of a light-transmissive material having a first face and a second face, wherein the first face includes an input port thereon for receiving a collimated beam of light and the second face is for providing total internal reflection of the beam of light in a first switching state and for acting as an output/input port for optical communication with the input/output port of the switching block when the total internal reflection is frustrated in a second switching state. The reflective face of the switching block and the second face of the second block have an angle other than zero defined therebetween. The optical deflection switch further includes a rotator for turning the switching block around an axis into one of a plurality of selectable positions, each of the plurality of selectable positions for changing a plane of incidence of the beam of light.

Optical deflection switch

An optical switch mechanism for reflecting an input light beam from an input port to a reflection output port in a first state and for transmitting an input light beam to a transmission output port in a second state is disclosed. The switch mechanism comprises a block made of a light transmissive substrate. The block contains a cavity, which is divided by a light transmissive diaphragm into a reflective portion and a transmissive portion. At the input port a light beam is coupled into the block such that the light beam encounters a reflective surface at an angle greater than a critical angle determined by the refractive indices of the substrate and a reflective fluid retained in the reflective portion of the cavity. When the reflective fluid is in contact with the reflective surface the light beam is totally reflected to a reflection output port. Changing hydrostatic pressure moves the transmissive diaphragm into a position where it is in a touching relationship with the reflective surface and the light beam is then transmitted to a transmission output port. The switch mechanism is simple, reliable, fast and easy to manufacture.

Optical switch mechanism

An optical switching system particularly useful in optical networks where waveguides are required from one node to several others, to provide multiple paths in the event of an outage on a particular waveguide is provided. The switching system is a one sided switch having p ports and allows any of the p ports to be connected with any other of the p-1 ports.

Optical switching system

A system of interconnected functionally identical modules for switching P optical signals to P locations in a non-blocking manner is disclosed. Each of the functionally identical modules provides a same function, which may or may not be provided in an identical manner. Each module has several of first ports and several second ports optically coupled to second ports of other modules. Switching means are provided for switching means for switching between the first ports and the second ports. Each module has at least a second port is directly coupled to another second port. Providing a system wherein modules are identical provides numerous advantages. The architecture further provides the advantage of ease of repair within no disturbance to communications being handled by other modules.

Optical switch module

The state of polarization of an input light beam is tested by determining four components of a Stokes vector of the light. These correspond to components of the light in three polarization states, S.sub.1 : linear horizontal, S.sub.2 : linear at 45 degrees, S.sub.3 : right circularly polarized, and S.sub.0 the total power. It is not necessary to filter out these components directly and measure their powers. In accordance with this invention it is more convenient to measure the powers in three arbitrary polarization states that have known relationships to each other, and, also measure the total power. The actual Stokes vector components is calculated from this information. Conveniently, a device having three polarization beam splitting surfaces and a prism provides a novel way in which to obtain the necessary information from an input beam so that a set of equations can be solved to determine the state of polarization the input beam.

Polarimeter

A fault detection circuit and method of detecting catastrophic faults for example from a total line outage due to a transmission waveguide being inadvertently cut, includes tapping a sample of the amplified transmission multichannel signal light for analysis. The tapped light is then fed to a periodic filter such as a Mach Zehnder interferometer or a Fabry Perot etalon having a free spectral range and phase at one output that coincides with the channel central wavelengths of the transmission system. Another output of the periodic filter provides an output response that is phase shifted by 180 degrees. Two output signals from the two output two output signals are then compared, in one embodiment by using a photodiode bridge. When one output of the periodic filter has a substantially different signal energy than the other, it is assumed that no faults occur. Conversely when the two outputs are substantially similar, it is assumed that a catastrophic fault has occurred.

Fault detection system for an amplified optical transmission system

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for switching an optical signal from one or more input ports to one of a plurality of output ports. A beam is launched into the input port. By controllably switching a switching element, such a liquid/air switch selection can be made selecting a plurality of deflections along a first plane to direct a beam along the first plane to one of a plurality of output locations; the beam is received from one of the plurality of locations and is directed along a second plane intersecting the first plane, to direct the beam to one of the output ports. In a preferred embodiment, the switch includes two prisms each having switching elements at end faces of the prisms.

Growing community of inventors

Manotick, Canada

Robert I MacDonald