Wavelength-Selective Cross-Connect Device Having a Variable Number of Common Ports

摘要

A configurable wavelength-selective cross-connect (WSXC) device having an array of optical ports in which at least some of the ports are configurable to operate as common ports or as plural ports. The configurable WSXC device includes a MEMS mirror array whose mirrors are tiltable in a manner that enables, e.g., reconfigurations of the configurable WSXC device that result in a change of the number of common ports therein. In one possible configuration, the configurable WSXC device can operate as 1×M1 wavelength-selective switch, where M1+1≦P, and P is the total number of optical ports in the array of optical ports. In another possible configuration, the configurable WSXC device can operate as a bank of n 1×M2 wavelength-selective switches, where n is a positive integer greater than one, and n(M2+1)≦P.

主权项

1. An apparatus comprising:
a reconfigurable wavelength-selective optical router; and a MEMS mirror array having a plurality of individually movable mirrors, wherein each of the movable mirrors is configured to receive light from or direct light to a respective one optical port in an array of optical ports and is configurable to optically couple the optical ports in at least a first configuration and a second configuration, wherein:
in the first configuration, the array of optical ports has a single common port and a plurality of plural ports that are configured as a common port and respective plural ports of a first wavelength-selective switch; andin the second configuration, the array of optical ports has a first common port, a second common port, a first plurality of plural ports, and a second plurality of plural ports, wherein:
the first common port and the first plurality of plural ports are configured as a common port and respective plural ports of a second wavelength-selective switch; andthe second common port and the second plurality of plural ports are configured as a common port and respective plural ports of a third wavelength-selective switch.