Parametric wavelength interchanging cross-connect
US5825517A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 6, 1995 |
| Grant date | Oct 20, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 6, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04Q2011/0052
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A wavelength-interchanging cross-connect for use as an optical switch within a wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) communications network in which multiple optical carrier signals at different optical wavelengths are switched in an all-optical process according to their wavelength. The cross-connect of the invention further allows the optical wavelength of the signal being switched to be changed to another WDM wavelength. The cross-connect includes a series of multi-wavelength 2.times.2 spatial optical switches. One serial path is directly connected between the spatial switches. The other serial path leads through intermediate wavelength-interchanging modules that interchange the carrier wavelengths of at least one pair of signals. Preferably, the wavelength interchanging is performed by difference frequency generation relying on second-order non-linear susceptibilities and a pump signal providing parametric gain. The frequency of the pump signal is chosen to be the sum of the frequencies of whatever optical signals are to be interchanged, and more than one pair can simultaneously be interchanged. The placement of the pumping frequencies is determined by a design process using a…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.