OPTICAL AMPLIFIER FOR MULTI-CORE OPTICAL FIBER

摘要

An optical device includes a substrate with first and second arrays of optical couplers located along a planar surface thereof. The optical couplers of the first array are laterally arranged along the surface to end-couple in a one-to-one manner to corresponding optical cores of a first multi-core fiber whose end is facing and adjacent to the first array. The optical couplers of the second array of optical couplers are laterally arranged along the surface to end-couple in a one-to-one manner to corresponding optical fiber cores of one or more optical fiber ends facing and adjacent to the second array. An optical switch network is optically connected to selectively couple some of the optical couplers of the first array to the optical couplers of the second array in a one-to-one manner.