Wavelength-selective cross-connect device having astigmatic optics

摘要

A wavelength-selective cross-connect (WSXC) device configured to route any set of carrier wavelengths from a corresponding input port to any selected output port. The WSXC device comprises a diffraction grating and a beam-steering device optically coupled to one another and to the input/output ports using astigmatic optics. The astigmatic optics includes one or more cylindrical lenses configured to image one beam-steering surface onto another beam-steering surface to enable a continuous spectral response. The astigmatic optics may further include (i) a cylindrical Fourier lens that enables the WSXC device to convert a change in the angular beam steering performed by the beam-steering device into a corresponding image-spot displacement at the output ports and/or (ii) one or more cylindrical lenses configured to image the active surface of the beam-steering device onto the diffraction grating. Various unfolded configurations of the various embodiments of the WSXC device are also disclosed.

主权项

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a first plurality of ports; a second plurality of ports; a first diffraction grating interposed between the first plurality of ports and the second plurality of ports; a first beam-steering device interposed between the first plurality of ports and the second plurality of ports and having a first beam-steering surface; and a first astigmatic optical element interposed between the first plurality of ports and the second plurality of ports, wherein:
each port of the first plurality is configured to receive a respective input WDM signal having two or more respective WDM components;the apparatus is configured to variously route the WDM components from the first plurality of ports to the second plurality of ports such that each of the WDM components impinges on the first diffraction grating, the first beam-steering surface, and the first astigmatic optical element;the first diffraction grating is configured to spectrally disperse light received from the first plurality of ports and direct spectrally dispersed light to the first beam-steering surface;the first beam-steering surface is configurable to individually steer beams corresponding to different wavelength bands of the spectrally dispersed light received from the first diffraction grating to enable the apparatus to route any of the WDM components from the respective port of the first plurality to any port of the second plurality;the apparatus has a folded structure configured to cause a WDM component to traverse the first diffraction grating two times; andthe apparatus further comprises a curved mirror configured to direct light between the first diffraction grating and the first beam-steering device such that the WDM component impinges on the curved mirror exactly four times.