Optical multiple circuit breaker

Details Optical multiple circuit breaker Optical multiple circuit breaker

1999-09-20

2002-06-11

Healy, Brian (Department: 2874)

Optical waveguides

With optical coupler

Switch

C385S017000, C385S020000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06404941

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention concerns an optical multiple circuit breaker according to the preamble of claim
1
.
In the field of optical information technology, optical switches are gaining importance for optional connection of optical information channels both together and with local networks and end users. In particular, there is a need for optical multiple circuit breakers of compact and simple construction which allow coupling of optical components or beam waveguides into existing beam waveguide arrangements.
Mechanical matrix switches are known in which mirrors or prisms are moved with high precision. Switches based on mirror or prism arrangements require a very stable and precise structure. The required precision is generally associated with a very high technical complexity.
As well as optical switch elements in which the micro-optical components are moved with high precision, optical switch elements are also known which work on a switch principle which does not require the movement of micro-optical components.
GB 1 494 150 describes an optical switch element in a beam waveguide in which an interface receiving incident light is switched between a state of total reflection and transmission. The known optical switches have a narrow gap in the beam waveguide core. The gap forms a flat interface between a medium with higher refractive index, i.e. the material of the beam waveguide core, and a medium of lower refractive index, i.e. a gaseous substance in the gap, so that light hitting the interface obliquely, guided along the beam waveguide, is totally reflected at the interface in the direction of an adjacent beam waveguide. To switch to the transmitting state in which the light hitting the interface retains its direction of propagation, a fluid with a refractive index which matches that of the material of the core of the beam waveguide is introduced into the gap. A storage vessel with a heating device attached to the beam waveguide provided as a device for optional introduction of the substance in its liquid or gaseous phase. By thermal expansion, the fluid is pressed into the slot penetrating through the casing layer into the core layer of the beam waveguide. In another design form, the liquid substance in the slot is brought to the gaseous phase by heating.
The complex production of the known switch is a disadvantage. Furthermore the known switch has a high optical attenuation, as the light beam emerging divergent from the beam waveguide is not guided in the area of the slot. Therefore in the transmitting switched state, part can be coupled over to the adjacent beam waveguide, which leads to a high crosstalk. Production of an optical multiple circuit breaker with several inputs and outputs required a correspondingly high number of these known switch elements and would therefore be very costly to implement.
IEEE Transactions on Components, Packaging and Manufacturing Technology-Part B, Vol. 18, No. 2, May 1995, Pages 241-244, discloses an optical multiple circuit breaker according to the preamble of claim
1
.
One decisive disadvantage of this optical multiple circuit breaker is the restriction to one set of N optical inputs lying in one plane and aligned parallel to each other. There is no freedom of design with regard to the arrangement of optical inputs and outputs because of the arrangement of the recesses with reflective surfaces in one plane and their parallel alignment. Thus with this optical multiple circuit breaker, use of coupling of an optical assembly or a local glass fiber network to existing optical data lines for example is simply not possible.
Another disadvantage is the high number of switch elements. The known optical multiple circuit breaker with N optical inputs has N×N individual switch elements which must be controlled individually by robots for switching between the reflective and the transmitting switched state. Simultaneous and hence rapid switching of all switch elements is not therefore feasible.
Because of the multiplicity of the switch element arranged in one plane, the known optical multiple circuit breaker has relatively long optical path lengths so that to avoid a high optical attenuation and crosstalk, a light guide is provided by means of integral waveguides.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
On the basis of the state of the art described, the task of the invention is to prepare an optical multiple circuit breaker with which optical inputs can be switched to optical outputs so that for example an optical assembly or a local glass fiber network can be coupled onto existing optical data lines without problems, and which allows a simple and hence fast switching between the reflective and transmitting switched states, and which has a compact structure and hence short optical path lengths.
The task is solved according to the invention with the features given in claim
1
and in claim
3
. The dependent claims concern advantageous designs of the invention.
The optical multiple circuit breaker according to claim
1
has
2
×N optical inputs E
1
(n) and E
2
(n) and
2
×N optical outputs A
1
(n) and A
2
(n), where n is an index from 2 to N, with N greater than or equal to 2. By optical reflection or transmission at two surfaces, thus
2
×N light beams from the
2
×N optical inputs can be switched to the
2
×N optical outputs. To form these two surfaces, the base body of the optical multiple circuit breaker has a maximum of two recesses. In the transmitting switched state, the recesses are filled with a substance with a refractive index corresponding approximately to that of the transparent base body material. Thus the transmission of the incident light beams from the N first optical inputs E
1
(n) to the N second optical outputs A
2
(n) is possible. In the reflective switched state, the recesses are filled with a substance with a lower refractive index. Two surfaces of the recesses are formed and arranged in the beam path so that in the reflective switched state, the first surface reflects the incident N light beams from the N first optical inputs E
1
(n) essentially to the N first optical outputs A
1
(n), whereas the second surface reflects the incident N light beams from the N second optical inputs E
2
(n) essentially to the N second optical outputs A
2
(n). Essentially the reflections are total reflections at the interface of a medium of higher refractive index, i.e. the base body, to a medium of lower refractive index, i.e. the substance of lower refractive index in the recess. At least one device fills the recesses optionally with the substance of higher or the substance of lower refractive index.
According to one design form, the two surfaces involved in the optional reflection or transmission are arranged parallel to each other so that the N second optical inputs E
2
(n) and the N first optical outputs A
1
(n) lie on opposite sides of the base body. For this the base body can have two recesses or one recess, for example with a parallelo-gram-shaped cross-section.
The optical multiple circuit breaker according to the invention according to claim
3
, like the optical multiple circuit breaker in claim 1, has 2×N optical inputs E
1
(n) and E
2
(n) and 2×N optical outputs A
1
(n) and A
2
(n), where n however is an index from 1 to N with N greater than or equal to 1. By optional reflection or transmission at two surfaces formed by a maximum of two recesses in the base body, here 2×N light beams from the 2×N optical inputs are switched to the 2×N optical outputs. In comparison with the optical multiple circuit breaker according to claim
1
, the base body of this switch has two additional surfaces formed and arranged in the beam path of the light beam so that in the transmitting switched state by reflection at these additional surfaces the N second optical inputs E
2
(n) are optically connected to the N first optical outputs A
1
(n). As in the optical multiple circuit breaker to claim
1
, here too in the transmitting switched state the N first optical inputs E
1
(n) are optic

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