IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,190,859

Granted Patent B2

US 11,190,859 · App. 16/673,115 · Granted Nov 30, 2021

Photonic switches, photonic switching fabrics and methods for data centers

Inventors: Francois Menard (Trois-Rivieres, CA); Martin Berard (Repentigny, CA); Jonathan Briere (Terrabonne, CA)

Assignee: Aeponyx Inc.

H04Q11/0005 G02B6/3518 H04J14/02 H04L12/6418 H04Q11/0062 H04Q11/02 G02B2006/12145 H04Q2011/003 H04Q2011/0016 H04Q2011/0039 H04Q2011/0058 H04Q2011/0073

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 11,190,859
App. No.: 16/673,115
Granted: Nov 30, 2021
Kind: B2

External Links

USPTO Patent Center↗ Full Patent PDF↗

Abstract

Data center interconnections, which encompass WSCs as well as traditional data centers, have become both a bottleneck and a cost/power issue for cloud computing providers, cloud service providers and the users of the cloud generally. Fiber optic technologies already play critical roles in data center operations and will increasingly in the future. The goal is to move data as fast as possible with the lowest latency with the lowest cost and the smallest space consumption on the server blade and throughout the network. Accordingly, it would be beneficial for new fiber optic interconnection architectures to address the traditional hierarchal time-division multiplexed (TDM) routing and interconnection and provide reduced latency, increased flexibility, lower cost, lower power consumption, and provide interconnections exploiting scalable optical modular optically switched interconnection network as well as temporospatial switching fabrics allowing switching speeds below the slowest switching element within the switching fabric.

Claims (71)

1. An optical device comprising:

a first non-suspended portion supporting an input optical waveguide;

a second non-suspended portion supporting a plurality of output optical waveguides;

a suspended portion disposed between the first non-suspended portion and the second non-suspended portion comprising:

a pivot coupled to a substrate of the optical device;

a beam comprising:

a first suspended waveguide portion disposed between the pivot and the first non-suspended portion;

a second suspended waveguide portion disposed between the pivot and the second non-suspended portion having a first end coupled to the pivot and a second distal end where the beam for the second suspended waveguide portion is split in two between the first end and the second end; and

a waveguide disposed upon the first suspended waveguide portion and the second suspended waveguide portion coupled at a first end to the input optical waveguide and having a second end at the second distal end of the second suspended waveguide portion for coupling optical signals from the input optical waveguide to an output optical waveguide of the plurality of output optical waveguides; and

a first microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) actuator mechanically coupled to the pivot; wherein

the waveguide is disposed upon one of the split portions of the beam between the first end of the second suspended waveguide portion and the second distal end of the second suspended waveguide portion; and

the second distal end of the second suspended waveguide portion is translated relative to the second non-suspended portion by the first MEMS actuator to align the second end of the waveguide with the output optical waveguide of the plurality of output optical waveguides.

2. The optical device according to claim 1 , further comprising a second MEMS actuator mechanically coupled to the pivot and disposed to another side of the suspended portion to that of the first MEMS actuator.

3. The optical device according to claim 2 , wherein

the first MEMS actuator is a first rotational actuator; and

the second MEMS actuator is a second rotational actuator.

4. The optical device according to claim 1 , wherein

the waveguide is optically coupled to another output optical waveguide of the plurality of output optical waveguides by the appropriate action of the first MEMS actuator.

5. The optical device according to claim 1 , wherein

the first MEMS actuator is a rotational actuator.

6. The optical device according to claim 1 , wherein

the second distal end of the second suspended waveguide portion is attracted to the second non-suspended portion when the second distal end of the second suspended waveguide portion and the second non-suspended portion are oppositely charged to close a gap between the second distal end of the second suspended waveguide portion and the second non-suspended portion; and

the second distal end of the second suspended waveguide portion can be moved relative to the second non-suspended portion when the second distal end of the second suspended waveguide portion and the second non-suspended portion are either uncharged or similarly charged.

7. The optical device according to claim 1 , wherein

each of the split portions of the beam between the first end of the second suspended waveguide portion and the second distal end of the second suspended waveguide portion have a curved geometry; and

the split portions are disposed on either side of an axis of the suspended portion between the first end of the second suspended waveguide portion and the second distal end of the second suspended waveguide portion.

8. A method of optical switching of an optical device comprising:

providing a first non-suspended portion supporting a plurality of input optical waveguides;

providing a second non-suspended portion supporting a plurality of output optical waveguides;

providing a suspended portion disposed between the first non-suspended portion and the second non-suspended portion comprising:

a pivot coupled to a substrate of the optical device;

a beam comprising:

a first suspended waveguide portion disposed between the pivot and the first non-suspended portion;

providing a first microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) actuator mechanically coupled to the pivot; wherein

9. The method of optical switching according to claim 8 , further comprising

providing a second MEMS actuator mechanically coupled to the pivot and disposed to another side of the suspended portion to that of the first MEMS actuator.

10. The method of optical switching according to claim 9 , wherein

providing the first MEMS actuator comprises providing a first rotational actuator; and

providing the second MEMS actuator comprises providing a second rotational actuator.

11. The method of optical switching according to claim 8 , wherein the waveguide is optically coupled to another output optical waveguide of the plurality of output optical waveguides by the appropriate action of the first MEMS actuator.

12. The method of optical switching according to claim 8 , wherein

providing the first MEMS actuator comprises providing a rotational actuator.

13. The method of optical switching according to claim 8 , wherein

14. The method of optical switching according to claim 8 , wherein

each of the split portions of the beam between the first end of the second suspended waveguide portion and the second distal end of the second suspended waveguide portion have a curved geometry; and

15. An optical device comprising:

a first non-suspended portion supporting M input optical waveguides;

a second non-suspended portion supporting N output optical waveguides;

a suspended portion disposed between the first non-suspended portion and the second non-suspended portion comprising:

a pivot coupled to a substrate of the optical device;

a beam comprising:

a first suspended waveguide portion disposed between the pivot and the first non-suspended portion;

M waveguides disposed upon the first suspended waveguide portion and the second suspended waveguide portion coupled at a first end to the M input optical waveguides and at a second end at the second distal end of the second suspended waveguide portion for coupling optical signals from the M input optical waveguides to a subset of the N output optical waveguides; and

a first microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) actuator mechanically coupled to the pivot; wherein

the second distal end of the second suspended waveguide portion is translated relative to the second non-suspended portion to align the M waveguides with the subset of the N output optical waveguides.

16. The optical device according to claim 15 , wherein the M waveguides are optically coupled to another subset of the N output optical waveguides by the appropriate action of the first MEMS actuator.

17. The optical device according to claim 15 , further comprising a second MEMS actuator mechanically coupled to the pivot and disposed to another side of the suspended portion to that of the first MEMS actuator.

18. The optical device according to claim 15 , wherein

19. The optical device according to claim 15 , wherein

each of the split portions of the beam between the first end of the second suspended waveguide portion and the second distal end of the second suspended waveguide portion have a curved geometry; and

Assignments (1)

ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 9, 2020

From: MENARD, FRANCOIS; BERARD, MARTIN; BRIERE, JONATHAN

To: AEPONYX INC.

Reel/Frame 052618/0799 →

Continuity (3)

Division 15561191

Provisional Application 62136673 · Mar 23, 2015

Related Publication 20200154180A1 · May 14, 2020