APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR FEEDBACK SYSTEM FOR OPTICAL SWITCH CONTROLLER

摘要

Embodiments are provided herein for an apparatus and method for controlling an integrated photonic switching device on a photonic lightwave circuit (PLC). The apparatus includes the optical switch with a plurality of input optical signal channels and a plurality of output optical signal channels. The apparatus further includes a plurality of photodetectors that are coupled, via corresponding optical taps, to at least one of the input optical signal channels and at least one of the output optical signal channels. Additionally, a passive electrical circuit is electrically coupled to the photodetectors. The circuit is configured to generate an output electrical signal as a function of the at least one of the input optical signal channels and the at least one of the output optical signal channels. The output electrical signal has a substantially lower frequency than the input optical signal channels and the output optical signal channels.