WO2017191224A1 - Réseau de commutation optique intégré à base d'électromouillage sur diélectrique ayant des performances élevées et une configuration compacte - Google Patents

Réseau de commutation optique intégré à base d'électromouillage sur diélectrique ayant des performances élevées et une configuration compacte Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2017191224A1
WO2017191224A1 PCT/EP2017/060588 EP2017060588W WO2017191224A1 WO 2017191224 A1 WO2017191224 A1 WO 2017191224A1 EP 2017060588 W EP2017060588 W EP 2017060588W WO 2017191224 A1 WO2017191224 A1 WO 2017191224A1
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WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
optical switches
optical
microchannel
switches
electro
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Ceased
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PCT/EP2017/060588
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English (en)
Inventor
David James MATHER
Peter MERLO
Cristina LERMA ARCE
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Commscope Connectivity Belgium BVBA
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Commscope Connectivity Belgium BVBA
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Publication of WO2017191224A1 publication Critical patent/WO2017191224A1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
    • G02B6/24—Coupling light guides
    • G02B6/26—Optical coupling means
    • G02B6/35—Optical coupling means having switching means
    • G02B6/3538—Optical coupling means having switching means based on displacement or deformation of a liquid
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
    • G02B6/24—Coupling light guides
    • G02B6/26—Optical coupling means
    • G02B6/35—Optical coupling means having switching means
    • G02B6/3596—With planar waveguide arrangement, i.e. in a substrate, regardless if actuating mechanism is outside the substrate
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
    • G02B6/10—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings of the optical waveguide type
    • G02B6/12—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings of the optical waveguide type of the integrated circuit kind
    • G02B2006/12133—Functions
    • G02B2006/12145—Switch
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
    • G02B6/10—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings of the optical waveguide type
    • G02B6/12—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings of the optical waveguide type of the integrated circuit kind
    • G02B2006/12133—Functions
    • G02B2006/12147—Coupler
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
    • G02B6/24—Coupling light guides
    • G02B6/26—Optical coupling means
    • G02B6/28—Optical coupling means having data bus means, i.e. plural waveguides interconnected and providing an inherently bidirectional system by mixing and splitting signals
    • G02B6/2804—Optical coupling means having data bus means, i.e. plural waveguides interconnected and providing an inherently bidirectional system by mixing and splitting signals forming multipart couplers without wavelength selective elements, e.g. "T" couplers, star couplers
    • G02B6/2821—Optical coupling means having data bus means, i.e. plural waveguides interconnected and providing an inherently bidirectional system by mixing and splitting signals forming multipart couplers without wavelength selective elements, e.g. "T" couplers, star couplers using lateral coupling between contiguous fibres to split or combine optical signals
    • G02B6/2826—Optical coupling means having data bus means, i.e. plural waveguides interconnected and providing an inherently bidirectional system by mixing and splitting signals forming multipart couplers without wavelength selective elements, e.g. "T" couplers, star couplers using lateral coupling between contiguous fibres to split or combine optical signals using mechanical machining means for shaping of the couplers, e.g. grinding or polishing
    • G02B6/283—Optical coupling means having data bus means, i.e. plural waveguides interconnected and providing an inherently bidirectional system by mixing and splitting signals forming multipart couplers without wavelength selective elements, e.g. "T" couplers, star couplers using lateral coupling between contiguous fibres to split or combine optical signals using mechanical machining means for shaping of the couplers, e.g. grinding or polishing couplers being tunable or adjustable
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
    • G02B6/24—Coupling light guides
    • G02B6/26—Optical coupling means
    • G02B6/35—Optical coupling means having switching means
    • G02B6/354—Switching arrangements, i.e. number of input/output ports and interconnection types
    • G02B6/3544—2D constellations, i.e. with switching elements and switched beams located in a plane
    • G02B6/3546—NxM switch, i.e. a regular array of switches elements of matrix type constellation

Definitions

  • This invention is related to optical fiber data communication systems and to optical switch systems used in such systems for controlling and managing optical signals.
  • Optical fiber networks are becoming prevalent in part because service providers want to deliver high bandwidth communication capabilities to customers. Such networks are a desirable choice for delivering high-speed communication data because they can avoid the use of active electronic devices, such as amplifiers and repeaters, between a central office and a subscriber termination. The absence of active electronic devices may decrease network complexity and/or cost and may increase network reliability.
  • optical signal management functions such as redirecting signals to bypass a faulty component, or opening new channels as more users are added to the network
  • active optical switches such as electro- wetting on dielectric (EWOD)-activated optical switches.
  • EWOD electro- wetting on dielectric
  • An important consideration for designing and implementing optical circuits for the management of optical signals is that the switch devices operate with high performance, i.e. have high optical transmission of the incoming signal into the desired output channel and low optical transmission into the other output channel.
  • higher performance optical switches require a larger footprint in the optical circuit than low performance switches.
  • the space available on the substrate of the optical chip may be limited, e.g. because of manufacturing limits on substrate size. Therefore, there is a need to develop an optical switch network architecture that permits an increased density of high performance optical switches on the optical chip, so that
  • One embodiment of the invention is directed to an optical switching device that has electro-wetting on dielectric (EWOD)- actuated optical switches on a substrate.
  • the optical switches are arranged in a plurality of rows and interconnected via interconnecting waveguides, comprising at least a first row of optical switches and a second row of optical switches.
  • One or more input waveguides are coupled to respective one or more optical switches of the optical switch network.
  • One or more output waveguides are coupled to respective one or more optical switches of the optical network.
  • a microchannel network for distributing droplets of electro- wetting liquid to the optical switches, has a first microchannel disposed proximate the first row of optical switches for distributing droplets of electro- wetting liquid to the optical switches of the first row of optical switches and a second microchannel disposed proximate the second row of optical switches for distributing droplets of electro-wetting liquid to the optical switches of the second row of optical switches.
  • Another embodiment of the invention is directed to an optical switching device that includes an optical switch network having electro-wetting on dielectric (EWOD)-actuated optical switches on a substrate.
  • the optical switches are arranged in at least a first row of optical switches.
  • a microchannel network for distributing droplets of electro-wetting liquid to the optical switches has a first microchannel disposed proximate the first row of optical switches. No more than one than one droplet of electro-wetting liquid is moveable along the first microchannel to address the optical switches in the first row of optical switches.
  • Another embodiment of the invention is directed to an optical switching device that has an optical switch network that includes electro-wetting on dielectric (EWOD)-actuated optical switches on a substrate wetting liquid to the optical switches of the first column of optical switches and a second microchannel disposed proximate the second column of optical switches for distributing droplets of electro -wetting liquid to the optical switches of the second row of optical switches.
  • Another embodiment of the invention is directed to an optical switching device that includes an optical switch network having electro-wetting on dielectric (EWOD)-actuated optical switches on a substrate. The optical switches are arranged in at least a first column of optical switches. A microchannel network distributes droplets of electro-wetting liquid to the optical switches.
  • the microchannel network comprises a first microchannel disposed proximate the first column of optical switches. There is no more than one droplet of electro- wetting liquid in the first microchannel, the one droplet of electro- wetting liquid being movable between the optical switches in the first column of optical switches.
  • FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an embodiment of a waveguide optical switch according to an embodiment of the present invention
  • FIG. 2A schematically illustrates a cross-sectional view through waveguide optical switch according to an embodiment of the invention
  • FIG. 2B illustrates operation of a waveguide optical switch in a bar state, according to an embodiment of the invention
  • FIG. 2C illustrates operation of a waveguide optical switch in a cross state, according to an embodiment of the invention
  • FIG. 3 illustrates principles of electro-wetting as used in an EWOD-activated optical switch
  • FIG. 4 schematically illustrates an embodiment of an EWOD-activated optical switch network as may be used in an optical chip according to the present invention
  • FIG. 5 schematically illustrates an embodiment of a microchannel network as may be used in an optical chip according to the present invention
  • FIG. 6 schematically illustrates an embodiment of an optical chip that includes the EWOD-activated optical switch network and microchannel network of FIGs. 4 and 5, according to the present invention
  • FIG. 7 schematically illustrates another embodiment of a microchannel network as may be used in an optical chip according to the present invention.
  • FIG. 8 schematically illustrates another embodiment of an optical chip that includes the EWOD-activated optical switch network and microchannel network of FIGs. 4 and 7, according to the present invention.
  • the present invention is directed to various optical devices and systems that can provide benefit in optical networks.
  • the invention is directed to integrated optical switching devices capable of operating over an extended bandwidth that permits signals of multiple functionalities to be transmitted over, and controlled within, a fiber network.
  • FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an embodiment of an integrated optical switch 100.
  • the optical switch 100 incorporates a first waveguide 102 and a second waveguide 104.
  • the first and second waveguides 102, 104 are physically close to one another in a coupling region 106, a region in space where light propagating along one of the waveguides 102, 104 may couple to the other waveguide 104, 102.
  • Whether light couples between the waveguides 102, 104 depends on the effective refractive index experienced by the light as it propagates along the waveguides 102, 104.
  • the effective refractive index can be altered by positioning a fluid of greater or lesser refractive index close to the coupling region 106.
  • the figure shows two droplets of liquid.
  • a first droplet 108 is positioned over the coupling region 106 and a second droplet 110 is positioned to the side of the coupling region 106.
  • the first droplet 108 has a first refractive index and the second droplet 110 has a second refractive index, different from the first refractive index.
  • a micrufluidie channel may be used for controlling the positions of the first and second droplets 108, 110 relative to the coupling region 106.
  • an optical signal transmitted into the first waveguide 102 is output from the first waveguide 102 when the first droplet 108 is over the coupling region 106.
  • the optical signal is output from the second waveguide 104 when the second droplet 1 10 is positioned over the coupling region 106. This is referred to as the switch's "cross state.”
  • Micro fluidic optical switches have previously been described, for example in U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/094,506, "Integrated Optical Switching and Splitting for Optical Networks," filed on December 19, 2014, in U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/1 16,784, entitled “Remote Control and Power Supply for Optical Networks,” filed on February 16, 2015, and in WO 2015/092964A1 , "Adiabatic Coupler,” published on June 25, 2015, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
  • FIG. 2A A cross-section through a microfluidic optical waveguide switch is schematically illustrated in FIG. 2A.
  • the substrate 200 contains the first waveguide 202 and the second waveguide 204.
  • An etched region 206 above the second waveguide 204 exposes the second waveguide 204 at or close to the upper surface 208 of the substrate 200.
  • the first waveguide 202 remains buried below the upper surface 208 of the substrate 200.
  • the droplet 212 of the second liquid is positioned above the etched region 206, so that the refractive index of the second liquid 212 affects the effective refractive index experienced by light propagating along the second waveguide 204.
  • light can couple between the first and second waveguides 202, 204 when the droplet 212 of the second liquid is in the etched region 206. In other words, the switch is in the cross state.
  • the effective refractive index experienced by the light propagating along the waveguide 204 is changed, preventing coupling of light between the waveguides 202, 204, and the switch is in the bar state.
  • FIGs. 2B and FIG. 2C illustrate how light is coupled between waveguides in the type of optical switch described above.
  • FIG. 2B illustrates the switch in the bar state, when a liquid of relatively low refractive index is positioned above the etched region.
  • the graph shows a plot of effective propagation constant, ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ , as a function of position, z, along the coupling region.
  • the flat line, labeled, waveguide A illustrates the effective propagation constant for the waveguide along which the light is propagating and the sloped line (waveguide B) illustrates the effective propagation constant for the other waveguide. Since there is a gap between the effective propagation constants, light does not couple from one waveguide to the other. This is seen in the pictures to the right of the graph, where light entering the switch on the first waveguide 202 remains on the first waveguide (upper picture) and light entering the switch on the lower waveguide 204 remains in the lower waveguide (lower picture).
  • FIG. 2C illustrates the situation with the switch in the cross state.
  • the graph shows the effective propagation constant of the other waveguide crosses that of the waveguide along which the light is propagating, allowing light to propagate between the two waveguides. This is seen in the pictures to the right of the graph, in which the light entering the switch on the first waveguide 202 exits the switch on the second waveguide 204 (upper picture) and light entering the switch on the second waveguide 204 exits the switch on the first waveguide 202 (lower picture).
  • FIG. 3 A microfluidic approach to moving the optical liquids relative to the waveguides, using the technique of electro- wetting, is schematically illustrated in FIG. 3.
  • a liquid droplet 302 is disposed within a microchannel 304 formed between two walls 306, 308.
  • the first wall 306 is provided with a common electrode 310, insulated from the channel 304 by a first dielectric layer 312 which provides electrical insulation between the common electrode 310 and the liquid droplet 302.
  • a first hydrophobic layer 314 may be deposited over the first dielectric layer 312.
  • the second wall 308 is provided with a number of electrodes 316 that can be activated with an applied voltage independently of each other.
  • electrodes 316 there are two independently addressable electrodes 316a, 316b, but it will be appreciated that other embodiments of the invention may include a larger number of addressable electrodes 316.
  • a second dielectric layer 318 insulates the electrodes 316a, 316b from the channel 304.
  • a hydrophobic layer 320 may be deposited over the second dielectric layer 318.
  • the electro-wetting (EW) effect can be described as a change in the contact angle of the liquid due to an applied potential difference between the liquid and the channel wall.
  • EW electro-wetting
  • the liquid droplet 302 is above the first addressable electrode 316a.
  • the graph below the channel cross-section shows the voltages applied to the common electrode, Vc, the voltage applied to the first addressable electrode 316a, Va, and the voltage applied to the second addressable electrode, Vb.
  • voltages are applied sequentially to the second addressable electrode 316b and to the common electrode 310 and the first addressable electrode 316a, which results in movement of the droplet 302 to a position over the second addressable electrode 316b, as shown in FIG. 3c.
  • Such an approach may also be used to move two or more liquids.
  • a channel contains two immiscible liquids, separated at an inter-liquid interface
  • movement of one of the liquids via an EW force can result in both liquids being moved along the channel.
  • One advantage of this technique is that the second liquid can be moved along the channel by the EW forces acting on the first liquid, even though the second liquid itself does not exhibit EW behavior, or only responds weakly to an EW control signal.
  • EW liquids are typically polar in nature, but the second liquid may be nonpolar.
  • an EW technique can be used to move a droplet of an electro- wetting liquid around a network of microchannels, so long as electrodes are suitably positioned along the different channels.
  • such an arrangement may be used to move an EW liquid droplet between different locations in an EWOD-activated optical switch array, for example between different optical switches.
  • an EW approach may be used to move EW droplets from a reservoir of EW liquid to selected positions in the EWOD-activated optical switch array.
  • an EWOD-actuated optical switch includes various considerations, including some that may appear to be contradictory of each other. On one hand, it is important that each optical switch in a switch array operates with high efficiency and low loss.
  • a coupler length of around 1400 ⁇ gives acceptable performance over the wavelength range of around 1260 nm to about 1650 nm.
  • acceptable performance means that losses for light in the desired waveguide ("the bright waveguide”) are less than about 1 dB, while losses in the other waveguide (“the dark waveguide”) are greater than about 10 dB, preferably greater than about 25 dB, and more preferably greater than about 30 dB.
  • Shorter EWOD-activated coupler switches are less effective. For example, when the coupler length is reduced to about 630 ⁇ from 1400 ⁇ , the losses in the bright waveguide can fall to around 4-5 dB, while the losses in the dark waveguide may be only around 3-10 dB. Accordingly, the longer coupler switch gives a more desirable performance. On the other hand, longer EWOD-activated coupler switches use more space on the substrate on which the optical chip is manufactured.
  • the substrate contains a switching network 402 formed using a number of EWOD-activated coupler switches 404, input waveguides 406, interconnecting waveguides 408 and 410 and output waveguides 412 and 414.
  • output waveguides 412 may be used for test purposes with output waveguides 414 being used as device outputs.
  • the switches 404 are coupled together using interconnecting waveguides 408 and 410 to form a switching network 402 configured as a cross-bar network. In this type of network, the switches 404 are arranged in rows and columns. There are two types of interconnecting waveguides, viz.
  • the rows are designated with the upper case capital alphabetic characters, A, B, C, D, while the columns are designated with lower case alphabetic characters a, b, c, d.
  • the switches 404, input waveguides 406, interconnecting waveguides 408 and 410 and output waveguides 414 may be designated according to their row and column in the network.
  • the input waveguide 406 on the third row down, row C is designated input waveguide 406C.
  • the switch on the third row down, row C, and the second column across, column b, is designated switch 404Cb.
  • the row interconnecting waveguide 408 on the third row, row C, that connects from the second switch in the row, switch 404Cb, to the third switch in the row, switch 404Cc, may be referred to as row interconnecting waveguide 408Cb.
  • the column interconnecting waveguide 410 on the second column, column b, that connects from the third switch in the column, switch 404Cb, to the fourth switch in the column, switch 404Db, may be referred to as column interconnecting waveguide 410Cb.
  • the output waveguide 412 on the third row down, row C, may be designated as test waveguide 412C, while the output waveguide on the second column, column b, is designated as output waveguide 414b.
  • cross-bar network is in a 4 x 4 arrangement, with four rows and four columns, but it will be understood that other sizes of network may also be used, such as an 8 x 8 or 16 x 16 network.
  • the network need not be square, but may have more rows than columns of vice versa, for example 4 x 8 or 8 x 4.
  • the input waveguides 406 are coupled to the lower inputs of the switches 404 in column a. If all the switches 404 are in the bar state without the presence of a liquid droplet, then the signal input at input waveguide 406D appears as an output at output waveguide 414a. Also, the signal input at input waveguide 406C appears as an output signal at output waveguide 414b, the signal input at input waveguide 406B appears as an output signal at output waveguide 414c, and the signal input at input waveguide 406 A appears as an output signal at output waveguide 414d.
  • Table 2 shows how the various input signals are correlated to various outputs when all the switches in the array are in the bar state except one switch in column b.
  • This arrangement permits a certain amount of redundancy, as illustrated by comparing the correlations between inputs and outputs in the two tables.
  • the correlations are the same when switch 404Aa is in the cross state as when switch 404Bb is in the cross state.
  • various input/output correlations may be achieved using different switch configurations. This is useful if, for example, a switch fails - the array 402 can be reconfigured to achieve the same input/output correlation as was used before the switch failure. Thus, switching may occur, for example from 404Aa to 404Bb so as to maintain the same output signals, without interrupting the service of the input signals at 406C and 406D.
  • each optical switch 404 is in the cross state unless the liquid droplet activates it into the bar state.
  • the position droplet determines which output waveguide 406 is connected to which output waveguide 414. For example, if a droplet is located at optical switch 404 Ac, resulting in optical switch 404Ac being in the bar state, then the signal input at waveguide 406A is connected to output waveguide 414c. Likewise, if there is a droplet located at optical switch 404Dd, then optical switch 404Dd is in the bar state, and the signal input at waveguide 406D is connected to output waveguide 414D.
  • Table 3 One example of the switch array configuration for this embodiment is shown in Table 3 below.
  • FIG. 5 One embodiment a microchannel network 500 that might be used to activate a switch network 402 is schematically illustrated in FIG. 5.
  • the microchannel network 500 is formed on the substrate 400, preferably over the switch network in a manner like that shown in FIGs. 2 and 3.
  • a reservoir 502 is provided as a store for the electro-wetting liquid.
  • a main microchannel 504 leads from the reservoir 502 to row microchannels 506, where each microchannel 506 is associated with a respective row of EWOD-activated optical switches 404.
  • Each row microchannel 506 is provided with a number of access channels 508 that permit the droplet of electro-wetting liquid access to the region above respective optical switches 404.
  • the EW liquid is used along with a second liquid, and an escape channel (not shown) may be provided between an access channel 508 and a row microchannel 506 to permit the second liquid to flow out of the access channel 508 when the EW liquid droplet enters the access channel 508.
  • a system of electrodes may be used to bud a droplet of the electro-wetting liquid from the reservoir 502 and deliver it via the main microchannel 504 and a selected row microchannel 506 and access microchannel 508 to a selected optical switch 404.
  • the droplet When a droplet 510 has been delivered via an access channel 508 to a selected optical switch 404, in a specific row, the droplet may be backed out from the access channel 508 to the row microchannel 506 and delivered via electro-wetting forces to another access channel 508 in the same row.
  • the figure shows a droplet 510 (solid line) at access channel 508Cb, corresponding to optical switch 404Cb.
  • the droplet 510 may be moved to another access channel 508, such as access channel 508Cd, (where the droplet 510 is illustrated in dashed lines).
  • FIG. 6 schematically illustrates the microchannel network 500 (solid lines) overlying the EWOD-activated optical switch network 402 (dashed lines), showing how the various access channels correlate with their respective optical switches.
  • the microchannel network 700 is formed on the substrate 400, preferably over the switch network in a manner like that shown in FIGs. 2 and 3.
  • a reservoir 702 is provided as a store for the electro- wetting liquid.
  • a main microchannel 704 leads from the reservoir 702 to column microchannels 706, where each column microchannel 706 is associated with a respective column of the array of EWOD-activated optical switches 404.
  • Each column microchannel 706 is provided with a number of access channels 708 that permit the droplet of electro-wetting liquid access to the region above respective optical switches 404.
  • the EW liquid is used along with a second liquid, and an escape channel (not shown) may be provided between an access channel 708 and a column microchannel 706 to permit the second liquid to flow out of the access channel 708 when the EW liquid droplet enters the access channel 708.
  • an escape channel (not shown) may be provided between an access channel 708 and a column microchannel 706 to permit the second liquid to flow out of the access channel 708 when the EW liquid droplet enters the access channel 708.
  • a system of electrodes may be used to bud a droplet of the electro- wetting liquid from the reservoir 702 and deliver it via the main microchannel 704 and a selected column microchannel 706 and access microchannel 708 to a selected optical switch 404.
  • a droplet 710 has been delivered via an access channel 708 to a selected optical switch 404, in a specific column, the droplet may be backed out from the access channel 708 to the column microchannel 506 and delivered via electro-wetting forces to another access channel 708 in the same row.
  • the figure shows a droplet 710 (solid line) at access channel 708 Ac, corresponding to optical switch 404Ac.
  • the droplet 710 may be moved to another access channel 708 on the same column microchannel 706, such as access channel 708Cc (where the droplet 710 is illustrated in dashed lines).
  • FIG. 8 schematically illustrates the microchannel network 700 (solid lines) overlying the EWOD-activated optical switch network 402 (dashed lines), showing how the various access channels correlate with their respective optical switches 40.
  • access channels 508, 708 While the use of access channels 508, 708 is not a requirement for the invention, it is advantageous to be able transport a droplet 510, 710 along a row or column microchannel 506. 706 without letting it pass over an optical switch 404 whose switching state is not intended to be changed, even for the short time it takes to move the droplet 510, 710 past the switch 404 to the droplet's destination.
  • the invention is not limited to the 4 x 4 switch network illustrated in the accompanying figures, but may be adapted to different sizes of switch network.
  • the current invention is particularly useful for increasing the density of high performance EWOD optical switches on the substrate, and providing for a versatile, adaptable switch array.
  • the EWOD switch array may be as large as 16 x 16.
  • the optical switch network of the present invention permits the switching of one or more input signals to different respective outputs, without interrupting the service of other input signals.
  • the outputs associated with inputs 406A and 406B could be swapped from 414a and 414b respectively to 414b and 414a respectively, without altering the flow of the signals from inputs 406C or 406D.
  • only one droplet is needed for each row and each column to uniquely couple each input 406 to each output 414.
  • the present invention is applicable to fiber optical communication and data transmission systems. Accordingly, the present invention should not be considered limited to the particular examples described above, but rather should be understood to cover all aspects of the invention as fairly set out in the attached claims. Various modifications, equivalent processes, as well as numerous structures to which the present invention may be applicable will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art to which the present invention is directed upon review of the present specification. The claims are intended to cover such modifications and devices.

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  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Optics & Photonics (AREA)
  • Mechanical Light Control Or Optical Switches (AREA)

Abstract

La présente invention concerne un réseau de commutation optique qui comprend un réseau de commutateurs optiques actionnés par électro-mouillage sur diélectrique (EWOD) associés à un ou plusieurs guides d'ondes d'entrée et de sortie. Les commutateurs optiques, qui sont formés par des coupleurs de guide d'ondes, sont agencés en rangées et en colonnes et sont interconnectés par l'intermédiaire de guides d'ondes d'interconnexion. Un réseau de microcanaux distribue des gouttelettes de liquide d'électromouillage aux commutateurs optiques et comporte un premier microcanal disposé le long d'une première rangée ou colonne de commutateurs optiques pour distribuer des gouttelettes de liquide d'électromouillage aux commutateurs optiques de la première rangée ou colonne et un deuxième microcanal disposé à proximité de la deuxième rangée ou colonne de commutateurs optiques pour distribuer des gouttelettes de liquide d'électromouillage aux commutateurs optiques de la deuxième rangée ou colonne. Dans certains modes de réalisation, pas plus d'une gouttelette de liquide d'électromouillage n'est mobile le long du premier microcanal pour adresser les commutateurs optiques dans la première rangée ou colonne.
PCT/EP2017/060588 2016-05-04 2017-05-03 Réseau de commutation optique intégré à base d'électromouillage sur diélectrique ayant des performances élevées et une configuration compacte Ceased WO2017191224A1 (fr)

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Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
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WO2019111051A3 (fr) * 2017-12-04 2019-08-01 Commscope Technologies Llc Système de commutateurs optiques actifs avec électro-mouillage activé simultanément sur des commutateurs optiques diélectriques

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