Abstract: A method of operating an optical switch (1) arranged in an optical DCN (2), comprising: providing first and second NIC's (3, 10), having first and second label channel parts (5, 12) and first and second data channel parts (6, 13), configured in a first and second ToR (7, 14) of a first and second server rack (8, 15), arranging an optical switch communicating with the first and second data channel parts via first and second data channels (16, 17), configuring a switch controller (18) communicating with the first and second label channel parts via first and second label channels (19, 20), transmitting destination information of data packets (30) carried by paired label packets (31) to the switch controller, transmitting data packets to the optical switch, generating signals (45) to configure the optical switch, and sending the data packets to a destination port.

Abstract: An apparatus arranged for deflecting an optical component for alignment purposes of the optical component with a further optical component, wherein the apparatus comprises a plurality of adjacently placed elongate carriers, extending mutually parallel to each other in a longitudinal direction, wherein two adjacently placed elongate carriers have a spacing between them for receiving a first optical component such that the received optical component rests against two adjacently placed elongate carriers, wherein the two elongate carriers have slopes such that the spacing between the two adjacently placed elongate carriers is smaller at a bottom side compared to the spacing at a top side of the carriers, wherein the carriers comprise piezoelectric material configured to deflect the carriers in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction by actuating the piezoelectric material.

Abstract: A method of operating an optical switch (1) arranged in an optical DCN (2), comprising: providing first and second NIC's (3, 10), having first and second label channel parts (5, 12) and first and second data channel parts (6, 13), configured in a first and second ToR (7, 14) of a first and second server rack (8, 15), arranging an optical switch communicating with the first and second data channel parts via first and second data channels (16, 17), configuring a switch controller (18) communicating with the first and second label channel parts via first and second label channels (19, 20), transmitting destination information of data packets (30) carried by paired label packets (31) to the switch controller, transmitting data packets to the optical switch, generating signals (45) to configure the optical switch, and sending the data packets to a destination port.

Abstract: An optical waveguide coupler is provided that includes an InP substrate, a guiding core layer disposed on the InP substrate, a top cladding layer disposed on the guiding core layer, where the guiding core layer and the top cladding layer are disposed in a photosensitive housing waveguide, and a mode coupling region having a lateral taper of the guiding core layer and the top cladding layer disposed above a region where the InP substrate is at least partially removed to create an air-cladding, where a low-to-high refractive index contrast transition (RICT) InP-based waveguide device is established to minimize light leakage into the InP substrate.

Abstract: An optical PON network comprises a central office which generates N DPSK modulated optical signals, where N is an integer greater than 1, an optical coupling which connects the N signals to at least one optical fiber, a passive distribution node located remotely from the central office which has at least one input port that is coupled to the fiber and a plurality of output ports, the node being arranged to transmit a first wavelength of the N signals to at least one of its output ports, and at least one optical network unit connected through a respective optical fiber to the first output port of the passive distribution node. The passive distribution node comprises an arrayed waveguide grating which provides a passive optical connection between its input port and the first output port and which for that connection functions as a bandpass filter having a profile and bandwidth selected such that the DPSK optical signal passed to the input node is converted to an intensity modulated signal at the output port.

Abstract: An optical PON network comprises a central office which generates N DPSK modulated optical signals, where N is an integer greater than 1, an optical coupling which connects the N signals to at least one optical fibre, a passive distribution mode located remotely from the central office which has at least one input port that is coupled to the fibre and a plurality of output node being arranged to transmit a first wavelength of the N signals to at least one of its output ports, and at least one optical network unit connected through a respective optical fibre to the first output port of the passive distribution node. The passive distribution node comprises an arrayed waveguide grating which provides a passive optical connection between its input port and the first output port and which for that connection functions as a bandpass filter having a profile and bandwidth selected such that the DPSK optical signal passed to the input node is converted to an intensity modulated signal at the output port.

Abstract: Optical signal processing apparatus for processing packetised optical signals comprising a probe signal generator which is arranged to issue a plurality probe pulses, and an optical AND logic gate assembly, the arrangement of the apparatus being such that, in use, the probe signals have an interval between pulses substantially equal to the interval between data elements of the packetised data to be extracted, and the packetised data and the probe pulses are then combined by the AND logic gate assembly.