Circuit switchable optical device
View Patent ↗A circuit switched optical device includes a first array of intersecting hollow waveguides formed in a first plane of a substrate. A second array of intersecting hollow waveguides is formed in a second plane of the substrate, and the second plane is positioned parallel to the first plane. An optical element within the first array selectively redirects an optical signal from the first array to the second array.
1. A circuit switchable optical device, comprising:
a first array of intersecting hollow waveguides formed in a first plane of a substrate;
a second array of intersecting hollow waveguides formed in a second plane of the substrate, wherein the second plane is parallel to the first plane; and
an optical element within the first array to selectively redirect an optical signal from the first array to the second array;
wherein the optical element
includes two or more independently movable portions.
2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first array of intersecting hollow waveguides and the second array of intersecting hollow waveguides comprise hollow metal waveguides.
3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first array of intersecting hollow waveguides comprises a plurality of hollow waveguides intersecting at an intersection and wherein the optical element is positioned at the intersection.
4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first array of intersecting hollow waveguides comprises a plurality of hollow waveguides intersecting at an intersection and wherein the optical element is positioned outside of the intersection.
5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the optical element comprises a micro-electro-mechanical system.
6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the optical element comprises a mirror.
7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the optical element comprises a beam splitter.
8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the optical element comprises two mirror portions.
9. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
an optical-electrical-optical device to convert to electrical signal, amplify, and retransmit the optical signal.
10. A method for switching a circuit switched optical device, comprising:
determining an optical beam path from an input port in a first hollow waveguide layer to an output port in a second hollow waveguide layer;
moving an optical element in a first array of intersecting hollow waveguides in the first hollow waveguide layer to redirect an optical beam from the first array of intersecting hollow waveguides to a second array of intersecting hollow waveguides in the second hollow waveguide layer;
transmitting the optical beam from the input port through first array of intersecting hollow waveguides in the first hollow waveguide layer;
redirecting the optical beam to the second array of intersecting hollow waveguides using the optical element; and
directing the optical beam along the second array of intersecting hollow waveguides in the second hollow waveguide layer toward the output port,
wherein the optical element
comprises a mirror having a plurality of mirror portions, the method further comprising moving the plurality of mirror portions independently to selectively redirect a portion of the optical beam.
11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising conditioning the optical beam using an optical-electrical-optical device.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein redirecting the optical beam comprises redirecting a portion of the optical beam and transmitting another portion of the optical beam.
13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising moving an array of optical elements within the first hollow waveguide layer and the second hollow waveguide layer to direct a plurality of optical beams between input and output ports coupled to intersecting arrays of hollow waveguides in the first hollow waveguide layer and the second hollow waveguide layer.
14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the optical beam is directed through an optical-electrical-optical device to convert to electrical signal, amplify, and retransmit the optical signal.