Wavelength selective switch and wavelength selection method

US9380361B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• WUHAN RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF POSTS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS · CN

Inventors

• Quan YOU · 红钢城街道, CN
• Dequan XIE · 红钢城街道, CN
• Zichen Liu · 红钢城街道, CN
• Ying Qiu · 红钢城街道, CN
• Miaofeng Li · 红钢城街道, CN
• Qi Yang · Nanhu, CN

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 23, 2014
• Grant date: Jun 28, 2016
• Expiry date: Aug 21, 2034

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H04Q2011/0032
• WIPO field: Telecommunications
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A wavelength selective switch and a wavelength selection method are provided. The wavelength selective switch comprises an input port, through which a light beam, including a plurality of optical signals having different wavelengths, is incident; a wavelength separation apparatus, including a Blue Phase Liquid Crystal (BPLC) device and configured to separate at least one optical signal from the light beam through the BPLC device; and at least one output port, configured to output the at least one optical signal separated by the wavelength separation apparatus respectively. With the wavelength selective switch and the wavelength selection method, a polarization-independent phase modulation can be realized without a depolarization device disposed in an optical path, which thereby simplifies an optical path, reduces an insertion loss, and lowers costs of the wavelength selective switch and even the entire optical communication system.