Abstract: A MEMS device having a deformable mirror. In representative embodiments, the MEMS device includes (1) a deformable plate having a reflective surface and movably connected to a substrate and (2) a deformation actuator mounted on the plate such that, when the plate moves with respect to the substrate, the actuator moves together with the plate without any changes in the relative position of the plate and the actuator. In one embodiment, the actuator has (i) a first electrode, one end of which is attached to an edge of the plate and (ii) a second electrode attached to an interior portion of the plate. When a voltage differential is applied between the first and second electrodes, an unattached end of the first electrode moves with respect to the second electrode, thereby applying a deformation force to the plate. Advantageously, motion and deformation of the deformable plate in such MEMS device are decoupled.

Abstract: A tunable (reconfigurable) OADM provides multiple drop ports and multiple add ports by which desired channels can be removed from, or added to, a composite optical signal. In one embodiment, a programmable demultiplexer is arranged to receive an input signal containing components at x different wavelengths from an optical input port, and distribute the input signal components among K output ports. K?1 of the output ports are the “drop” ports of the OADM, and cumulatively contain w different wavelengths. The remaining port, which is the “through port” that carries the z wavelengths not dropped from the original input signal, is connected to the first port of an M port programmable multiplexer having M?1 other input ports. The remaining M?1 ports are the “add” ports of the OADM, which cumulatively receive v different wavelengths to be added by the OADM.

Abstract: An optical filter apparatus for processing an optical signal comprising a spectrum broadening device for spectrally dividing one or more channels of the optical signal into a discrete set of spectral components for each channel, a collector for collecting the spectral components on a discrete number of corresponding light channels, one or more processors for individually processing one or more of the spectral components on the light channels, and a combiner for recombining the spectral components on the light channels.

Abstract: Apparatus controls optical coupling attenuation of an input optical beam to one of a plurality of output optical facilities. The apparatus includes a plurality of lenses, each lens aligned to couple a received optical beam to one of the plurality of output optical facilities and to couple the beam to a corresponding co-axially aligned output facility. Contiguous pairs of the plurality of lenses are arranged to have a predetermined space between such contiguous pairs, so that when the direction of a received beam is misaligned to a destination lens of a contiguous pair, only a first portion of the received beam gets coupled to the corresponding output facility of that destination lens and a second portion of the received beam propagates into the predetermined space so as not to be coupled to any of the plurality of output facilities.

Abstract: An optical filter apparatus for processing an optical signal comprising a spectrum broadening device for spectrally dividing one or more channels of the optical signal into a discrete set of spectral components for each channel, a collector for collecting the spectral components on a discrete number of corresponding light channels, one or more processors for individually processing one or more of the spectral components on the light channels, and a combiner for recombining the spectral components on the light channels.

Abstract: An optical device for discretionary treatment of channels of an optical beam, the optical device comprising: (a) a port for at least transmitting or receiving a first beam having a plurality of channels; (b) a wavelength discriminating device optically coupled to the port, the wavelength discriminating device adapted for at least one of receiving the first beam and diffracting the beam into a plurality of channel beams or receiving a plurality of channel beams and combining the channel beams into the first beam; and (c) an array of reflective elements, the reflective elements exceeding the number of channels, at least a portion of the reflective elements being optically coupled to the wavelength discriminating device to reflect the channel beams, at least two reflective elements of the portion corresponding to a particular channel beam, the at least two reflective elements being controllable to effect a desired output of the particular channel beam.

Abstract: An optical cross connect switch includes a programmable demultiplexer placed on every input transmission port, a programmable multiplexer placed on every output transmission port, and a linking fiber between every programmable demultiplexer and multiplexer in the system. The programmable demultiplexers and multiplexers handle internally all the optical communication channels, and can route any specified optical channel from an input port to the desired output port. Advantageously, the arrangement can send several input channels to the same output port, and can efficiently handle a large optical communication channel count, offer a scalable cost-effective solution for expanding switching capacity, and reduce the fiber interconnection count between switch modules.

Abstract: A programmable optical demultiplexer can independently assign every input optical channel in a WDM optical communications signal to depart from any desired output port. The demultiplexer device can also be operated in the reverse direction, and thus achieve programmable optical multiplexer functionality, by accepting different wavelengths at each of multiple input ports and efficiently combining the wavelength channels at the multiplexer output port. The programmable multiplexer/demultiplexer device has an optical arrangement for spatially dispersing the optical wavelengths, and tunable micro-mirrors for beam steering each channel independently. Controlling the beam reflection direction determines the connectivity between the input and output ports at the wavelength level.

Abstract: A programmable optical demultiplexer can independently assign every input optical channel in a WDM optical communications signal to depart from any desired output port. The demultiplexer device can also be operated in the reverse direction, and thus achieve programmable optical multiplexer functionality, by accepting different wavelengths at each of multiple input ports and efficiently combining the wavelength channels at the multiplexer output port. The programmable multiplexer/demultiplexer device has an optical arrangement for spatially dispersing the optical wavelengths, and tunable micro-mirrors for beam steering each channel independently. Controlling the beam reflection direction determines the connectivity between the input and output ports at the wavelength level.

Abstract: A tunable (reconfigurable) OADM provides multiple drop ports and multiple add ports by which desired channels can be removed from, or added to, a composite optical signal. The channels added to and dropped from the optical signal can be individual channels (with a single wavelength per channel) and therefore enabled for direct connection to fixed (or tunable) optical transmitters and optical receivers, respectively. Alternatively, the channels added to and dropped from the optical signal can themselves be multiplexed, enabling more advanced features. The OADM provides a low loss architecture for all the optical signals that traverse through the device, as required for transparent optical networks. In one embodiment, a programmable demultiplexer is arranged to receive an input signal containing components at x different wavelengths from an optical input port, and distribute the input signal components among K output ports.

Abstract: An optical cross connect switch includes a programmable demultiplexer placed on every input transmission port, a programmable multiplexer placed on every output transmission port, and a linking fiber between every programmable demultiplexer and multiplexer in the system. The programmable demultiplexers and multiplexers handle internally all the optical communication channels, and can route any specified optical channel from an input port to the desired output port. Advantageously, the arrangement can send several input channels to the same output port, and can efficiently handle a large optical communication channel count, offer a scalable cost-effective solution for expanding switching capacity, and reduce the fiber interconnection count between switch modules.