JP2564577B2 - Wavelength division optical switch - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial field of use] The present invention relates to a wavelength division optical switch having a small size and a large capacity.

[Conventional technology]

FIG. 4 shows the configuration of a conventionally proposed large-capacity wavelength division optical switch. The principle of the conventional configuration will be described with reference to FIG.

The signals of channels 1 to n are wavelength-division multiplexed as optical signals of wavelengths λ ₁ to λ _n , and the input optical highways 1-
1 to 1-m. Each input optical highway 1-1
The wavelengths of the optical signals of wavelengths λ _{1 to} λ _n on ˜ 1-m are mutually converted by the primary wavelength conversion switches 2-1 to 2-m, and primary light is also converted into optical signals of wavelengths λ _{1 to} λ _n. Highway 3-
Output to 1 to 3-m. Each primary light highway 3-1 to 3
The optical signal on −m is demultiplexed by the demultiplexers 4-1 to 4-m to a wavelength λ ₁
Demultiplexed into optical signals of the to [lambda] _n, and input to the optical matrix switcher Tutsi 5-1 to 5-n collects the light of the same wavelength, each performing interchanging between highway.

The present light matrix switches 5-1 to 5-n are, for example, the fifth
This can be achieved by placing a movable prism as shown in the figure at the cross point and inserting / removing this.

The lights from the same output channels of the optical matrix switches 5-1 to 5-n are combined by the multiplexers 6-1 to 6-m and output to the secondary optical highways 7-1 to 7-m. 2 each
The wavelength λ ₁ of the optical signal on the next optical highway 7-1 to 7-m
The λ _n are mutually converted by the secondary wavelength conversion switches 8-1 to 8-m, and are similarly output to the output optical highways 9-1 to 9-m as optical signals of the wavelengths λ _{1 to} λ _n .

In this conventional configuration, the primary wavelength conversion switches 2-1 to 2-
The m and secondary wavelength conversion switches 8-1 to 8-m switch wavelengths on the same optical highway, and the optical matrix switches 5-1 to 5-n switch highways between optical signals of the same wavelength. As described above, a large-capacity wavelength division optical switch that allows internal blocking can be realized.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

The conventional large-capacity wavelength division optical switch described above has a problem in that it requires a large amount of hardware and is large in size.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a wavelength division optical switch having a large capacity and a significantly reduced required amount of hardware.

[Means for solving problems]

To achieve the above object, in the present invention, a highway switch based on m acousto-optic elements is used instead of the highway switch consisting of n m × m optical matrix switches used in the conventional configuration. .

[Action]

The main feature of the present invention is that a high-way switch in a large-capacity wavelength-multiplexed optical switch is constructed based on m acousto-optic elements as a basic feature.
This makes it possible to significantly reduce the amount of hardware as compared with the conventional technique which is configured by n optical matrix switches of × m.

〔Example〕

 Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 1-1 to 1-m are input optical highways, 2-1
~ 2-m is the primary wavelength conversion switch, 3-1 to 3-m is 1
Next-light highway, 10-1 to 10-m are collimating lenses, 11-1 to 11-m are acousto-optic elements, 12-1 to 12-m
Is a condenser lens, 13-1 to 13-m is an m-channel waveguide array, 6-1 to 6-m is a multiplexer, 7-1 to 7-m is a secondary optical highway, 8-1 to 8 -M is a secondary wavelength conversion switch, and 9-1 to 9-m are output light highways. The circuit operation of one embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG.

The signals of channels 1 to n are wavelength-division multiplexed as optical signals of wavelengths λ ₁ to λ _n , and the input optical highways 1-
1 to 1-m. Each input optical highway 1-1
The wavelengths of the optical signals of wavelengths λ _{1 to} λ _n on ˜ 1-m are mutually converted by the primary wavelength conversion switches 2-1 to 2-m, and primary light is also converted into optical signals of wavelengths λ _{1 to} λ _n. Highway 3-
Output to 1 to 3-m. Each primary light highway 3-1 to 3
-M output light collimating lens 10-1 to 10-m
Then, the light is made into parallel light and is input to the acousto-optic elements 11-1 to 11-m.

This acousto-optic device 11-1 to 11-m are by connexion driven signal superposed by circuit M by superimposing an electric signal of a frequency f ₁ ~f _n as shown in FIG. 2, the wavelength inputted lambda ₁ ~ Λ _n
Is diffracted independently of f _{1 to} f _{n in} a direction of θ _ij = λ _i f _j / v (v: sound velocity of acousto-optic medium).

Therefore, when this diffracted light is condensed by the condenser lenses 12-1 to 12-m, the light of an arbitrary wavelength is made to enter the arbitrary channel of the waveguide array 13-1 to 13-m as shown in FIG. You can Output lights of the same channel of the waveguide arrays 13-1 to 13-m are respectively combined by the combiners 6-1 to 6-m,
Output to the secondary light highways 7-1 to 7-m. The wavelengths of the optical signals of wavelengths λ _{1 to} λ _n on the secondary optical highway are mutually converted by the secondary wavelength conversion switches 8-1 to 8-m, and output optical highways are also output as optical signals of the wavelengths λ _{1 to} λ _n. Output to.

The present invention replaces the wavelengths on the same optical highway with the primary wavelength conversion switches 2-1 to 2-m and the secondary wavelength conversion switches 8-1 to 8-m, and acousto-optic elements 11-1 to 11
A highway switch based on -m is used to switch highways between optical signals of the same wavelength.
As described above, a large-capacity wavelength division optical switch allowing internal blocking can be realized.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, in the present invention, m
Since the high-weight switch is realized by m acousto-optic elements instead of realizing the high-way switch by using n × m optical matrix switches, there is an advantage that the amount of hardware is small and the size can be reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
3 is an explanatory view showing the configuration of the acousto-optic device in FIG. 3, FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the waveguide array light receiving portion in FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is a configuration view showing a conventional large capacity wavelength division optical switch, and FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the cross point of the highway switch used for the conventional large capacity wavelength division optical switch. Explanation of symbols 1-1 to 1-m ... Input optical highway, 2-1 to 2-m
...... Primary wavelength conversion switch, 3-1 to 3-m …… Primary optical highway, 4-1 to 4-m …… Splitter, 5-1 to 5-
m ... Optical matrix switch, 6-1 to 6-m ... Combiner, 7-1 to 7-m ... Secondary optical highway, 8-1 to 8
-M ... secondary wavelength conversion switch, 9-1 to 9-m ... output light highway, 10-1 to 10-m ... collimating lens, 11-1 to 11-m ... acousto-optic element, 12-1 to 12
-M ... Condensing lens, 13-1 to 13-m ... Waveguide array

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. Signals of channels 1 to n are transmitted through a wavelength λ ₁
An input optical highway m the transmitting wavelength division multiplexed with the optical signal to [lambda] _n, 1 for converting the wavelength of an optical signal on each input optical highway above as an optical signal of wavelength lambda ₁ to [lambda] _n Swap between the high-way switches for m next-wavelength conversion switches, m first-order optical highways for transmitting each output optical signal of the first-order wavelength conversion switches, and m optical signals of the same wavelength of the first-order optical highways. , One highway switch, m secondary optical highways transmitting the output signal of the highway switch, and the wavelengths of the optical signals on the secondary optical highways are converted and output as optical signals of wavelengths λ ₁ to λ _n. A wavelength division switch comprising m secondary wavelength conversion switches and m output optical highways for transmitting the output signals of the secondary wavelength conversion switches, wherein the highway switch is a). When the output lights of the m primary light highways are input, m collimating lenses that convert the output lights into parallel lights, and b) are driven by a superimposed signal in which n kinds of RF frequencies are superimposed. When the output light of the collimating lens is input, n types of independent independent lights are determined depending on the combination of the n types of RF frequencies and the wavelength of the input output light of the collimating lens. Acousto-optic device m capable of simultaneously switching multi-wavelength input optical signals in the wavelength region and the spatial region by diffracting the input output light of the collimating lens in the direction.
And c) m condensing lenses for condensing the diffracted light that is switched by the acousto-optic device, and d) an m-channel optical waveguide that receives the light condensed by the condensing lens. A wavelength division optical switch (provided that n is an array), and e) is a highway switch comprising m multiplexers for respectively multiplexing outputs of the same channels of the m waveguide arrays. , m is an integer).