Abstract: An integrated optical switching device includes a substrate formed with a plurality of optical input waveguides, a plurality of optical output waveguides, and a plurality of optical switching elements for selectively connecting the optical input waveguides to the optical output waveguides; characterized in that at least some of the waveguides include tight bends having a radius of curvature of less than 100 ?m. Also described are compact switching devices of high port count including coaxial arrays of input and output switch columns interconnected according to a double-crossbar architecture.

Abstract: An integrated-optical device including a substrate having waveguide and a plurality of electrodes to receive electrical signals for controlling the light transmission through the pathways. The waveguide pathways are in an interaction zone of an electro-optically active waveguide material whose refractive index changes in response to electrical signals applied to the electrodes, and also in an access zone providing optical access to the interaction zone. The active waveguide material in the interaction zone is preferably a different material from the waveguide material in the access zone, enabling improved performance and/or simpler fabrication in a number of described respects.

Abstract: An integrated-optical device including a substrate having waveguide and a plurality of electrodes to receive electrical signals for controlling the light transmission through the pathways. The waveguide pathways are in an interaction zone of an electro-optically active waveguide material whose refractive index changes in response to electrical signals applied to the electrodes, and also in an access zone providing optical access to the interaction zone. The active waveguide material in the interaction zone is preferably a different material from the waveguide material in the access zone, enabling improved performance and/or simpler fabrication in a number of described respects.

Abstract: An integrated-optical device including a substrate having waveguide and a plurality of electrodes to receive electrical signals for controlling the light transmission through the pathways. The waveguide pathways are in an interaction zone of an electro-optically active waveguide material whose refractive index changes in response to electrical signals applied to the electrodes, and also in an access zone providing optical access to the interaction zone. The active waveguide material in the interaction zone is preferably a different material from the waveguide material in the access zone, enabling improved performance and/or simpler fabrication in a number of described respects.

Abstract: An integrated optical switching device includes a substrate formed with a plurality of optical input waveguides, a plurality of optical output waveguides, and a plurality of optical switching elements for selectively connecting the optical input waveguides to the optical output waveguides; characterized in that at least some of the waveguides include tight bends having a radius of curvature of less than 100 &mgr;m. Also described are compact switching devices of high port count including coaxial arrays of input and output switch columns interconnected according to a double crossbar architecture.

Abstract: An optical switch array in which at least three input waveguides are coupled to at least three output waveguides. Each of the input waveguides is coupled in the same order to each of the output waveguides by a coupling element such as a y-junction combiner, via an intermediate waveguide and a switching mechanism that includes a coupling element such as a 1×2 switch. For compactness, the coupling elements that couple to the same input waveguide are mutually displaced along the output waveguides.

Abstract: An optical switch array in which a plurality of input waveguides is coupled to a plurality of output waveguides. All but one of the output waveguides is coupled to each of the input waveguides by a switching element such as a 1×2 switch. A combining mechanism couples all the input waveguides to each of the output waveguides. In one preferred embodiment, one of the input waveguides continues directly into the output waveguide that is not coupled to input waveguides by switching elements, and each combining mechanism includes, for each of the other input waveguides, a coupling element such as a y-junction combiner. The switching elements are connected to the corresponding combining mechanisms by intermediate waveguides. Intermediate waveguides intersect input waveguides as required to allow the array to be fabricated as a planar integrated device.

Abstract: An optical switch matrix connects N input waveguides to M output waveguides via M rows of switch sets. Each row of switch sets includes a first switch set that has one input port and two output ports, N−2 intermediate switch sets that have two input ports and two output ports, and a last switch set that has two input ports and one or two output ports. One output port of each first or intermediate switch set is optically coupled to an input port of a succeeding switch set in the same row, and the other output port is optically coupled to an input port of a respective switch set in a cyclically succeeding row, by intermediate waveguides that do not cross each other. The only exceptions are the intermediate waveguides that connect the last row to the first row. These intermediate waveguides may cross other waveguides.

Abstract: An optical switch array in which at least three input waveguides are coupled to at least three output waveguides. Each of the output waveguides is coupled in the same order to each of the input waveguides by a switching element such as a 1×2 switch, via an intermediate waveguide and a combining mechanism that includes a coupling element such as a y-junction combiner. For compactness, the switching elements that couple to the same output waveguide are mutually displaced along the input waveguides. Optionally, each of the input waveguides is coupled to an auxiliary waveguide, which in turn is coupled to further output waveguides.

Abstract: An optical switch array in which a plurality of input waveguides is coupled to a plurality of output waveguides. All but one of the output waveguides is coupled to each of the input waveguides by a switching element such as a 1×2 switch. A combining mechanism couples all the input waveguides to each of the output waveguides. In one preferred embodiment, one of the input waveguides continues directly into the output waveguide that is not coupled to input waveguides by switching elements, and each combining mechanism includes, for each of the other input waveguides, a coupling element such as a y-junction combiner. The switching elements are connected to the corresponding combining mechanisms by intermediate waveguides. Intermediate waveguides intersect input waveguides as required to allow the array to be fabricated as a planar integrated device.

Abstract: An optical address decoder, and an associated method for routing optical data packets. One embodiment of the decoder includes a plurality of waveguides, and semireflective elements that define, within each waveguide, a resonant cavity, each resonant cavity being of a different length. Addresses are encoded as equal spacings of sequences of optical pulses. An address to be decoded is directed simultaneously to all waveguides. Resonance is set up only in the waveguide whose resonant cavity matches the optical pulse spacing of the address. Another embodiment of the decoder includes a plurality of waveguides of different lengths, with the length difference between adjacent waveguides corresponding to a certain propagation time interval. Each waveguide terminates in an optoelectronic detector. Addresses are encoded as patterns of bits spaced according to this propagation time interval, with optical pulses representing "1" bits. An address to be decoded is directed, bit by bit, simultaneously to all waveguides.