Patent · US Active

Wavelength selective switch

US8867016B2 · kind B2 · utility

7Cited by
7References
15Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 12, 2012
Grant dateOct 21, 2014
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 15, 2032

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04Q2011/0035
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, for optical switching. In one aspect, a wavelength selective switch includes one or more optical input ports; one or more optical output ports; a first optical wavelength dispersion element configured to separate the plurality of wavelength channels of the input optical beam; a second optical wavelength dispersion element configured to combine two or more separate optical beams each having one or more different wavelengths, into a combined beam having the plurality of wavelength channels; a polarization modulator array configured to independently change a polarization orientation of an optical beam passing through; optical components for directing optical beams corresponding to respective wavelength channels to different polarizing modulation cells; and a polarization beam splitter configured to route received optical beams to particular output paths according to polarization orientation.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.