An operating method and system for an optical switch

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of optical switch technology, specifically to an operating method and system for an optical switch. The optical switch includes: a plurality of basic units, each basic unit comprising: a microring resonator coupled to a row bus and a column bus respectively; a phase change material region integrated on the microring resonator; and an exciter for applying an excitation signal to the phase change material to control the phase change state of the phase change material region. A temperature sensor is disposed in at least one set of basic units. Correspondingly, each set of basic units includes: a first type of basic unit in which the temperature sensor is disposed, and a second type of basic unit disposed adjacent to the first type of basic unit. This invention can improve the stability of optical switches in large-scale applications.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of optical switch technology, and specifically to an optical switch operation method and system. Background Technology

[0002] With the explosive growth in bandwidth demands from data centers, high-performance computing, and artificial intelligence, optical interconnect technology is gradually replacing electrical interconnect. Among these technologies, optical switches, as core components for optical path reconfiguration and scheduling in optical networks, are of paramount importance. An ideal optical switch should possess characteristics such as large-scale integration, low insertion loss, low crosstalk, low power consumption, high speed, and high reliability.

[0003] For example, patent application CN116300242A discloses a microring optical waveguide switch based on a low-loss phase change material and its fabrication method. The microring optical waveguide switch includes a substrate layer and an optical switch layer. The optical switch layer is disposed on the substrate layer and includes a microring resonant cavity, a bus waveguide, and a phase change material block. The bus waveguide includes an input waveguide and an output waveguide. The output end of the input waveguide is connected to the input end of the phase change material block, and the output end of the phase change material block is connected to the input end of the output waveguide. The bus waveguide is side-coupled to the microring resonant cavity, and the phase change material block is located between the input waveguide and the output waveguide.

[0004] For example, patent application CN118444427A discloses a calibration-free, non-volatile integrated silicon-based optical switch. In this switch, a mode (demultiplexer) is connected to both ends of a multimode waveguide grating via an adiabatic tapered waveguide. A phase change material is deposited on the multimode waveguide grating, and this material is subjected to an external excitation. By changing the power and pulse width of the external excitation pulse, the crystal state of the phase change material is non-volatilely altered, changing the wavelength range that satisfies the Bragg condition of the multimode waveguide grating. This alters the transmission and reflection characteristics of a specific wavelength signal in the multimode waveguide grating region. Furthermore, the mode (demultiplexer) enables switching between different output ports, achieving the function of a non-volatile optical switch.

[0005] However, this type of micro-ring optical switch still has significant drawbacks in practical engineering applications, such as difficulty in achieving large-scale expansion, easy crosstalk between adjacent micro-ring resonators, or a very limited normal operating temperature range. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide an operating method for an optical switch, which partially solves or alleviates the above-mentioned deficiencies in the prior art and can improve the operating stability of the optical switch to a certain extent.

[0007] To solve the aforementioned technical problems, the present invention specifically adopts the following technical solution:

[0008] A first aspect of the present invention is to provide a method for operating an optical switch, the optical switch comprising:

[0009] At least one row bus, at least one column bus intersecting the at least one row bus, and a plurality of basic units formed at the intersection of the at least one row bus and the at least one column bus, the basic unit comprising: a microring resonator coupled to the row bus and the column bus respectively, a phase change material region integrated on the microring resonator, and an exciter for applying an excitation signal to the phase change material to control the phase change state of the phase change material region;

[0010] In this embodiment, a temperature sensor is provided in at least one set of basic units. Correspondingly, the set of basic units includes: a type of basic unit in which the temperature sensor is provided, and a type of basic unit in which the type of basic unit is provided adjacent to the type of basic unit.

[0011] Correspondingly, the method includes:

[0012] S101, determine whether the basic unit is an optional unit; wherein, the optional unit refers to a basic unit that can be used to transmit optical signals in the next time period;

[0013] S102, If the result of S101 is yes, then the following steps are allowed to be executed:

[0014] S103, the temperature reading associated with the optional unit is obtained through the temperature sensor;

[0015] S104, determining the temperature value based on the type of the optional unit using a temperature reading; wherein, S104 includes:

[0016] When the optional unit is one of the basic units, the temperature reading is taken as the temperature value of the optional unit.

[0017] When the optional unit is one of the two basic units, the temperature value of the optional unit is predicted according to the temperature gradient change law;

[0018] S105, select the modulation amplitude of the optional unit according to the temperature value, wherein when the excitation signal is a pulse signal, the modulation amplitude is the energy or intensity of the pulse excitation.

[0019] In some embodiments, it also includes:

[0020] When the temperature value is greater than the preset temperature threshold, the optional unit is marked as a cooling unit.

[0021] In some embodiments, the steps further include:

[0022] Select at least one candidate signal path from a plurality of selectable units;

[0023] The candidate signal path is scored to obtain a path score; wherein the path score is a feature value of the unit score of at least two of the candidate units traversed by the candidate signal path; wherein the unit score is determined by unit features, the unit features including: temperature value, and the higher the temperature value, the lower the unit score;

[0024] When the pathway score is greater than or equal to a preset score threshold, the candidate signal pathway is identified as a recommended signal pathway.

[0025] In some embodiments, the unit features further include: an operating mode, wherein when the optical signal needs to switch buses when passing through the selectable unit, the operating mode is line switching; when the optical signal does not switch buses when passing through the selectable unit, the operating mode is line direct transmission; correspondingly, the temperature value = predicted value * λ.

[0026] The predicted value is the predicted temperature calculated based on the temperature reading and the measurement distance, where the measurement distance is the distance between the optional unit and the corresponding temperature sensor; λ is a correction coefficient, where different working modes correspond to different correction coefficients, and the correction coefficient under line switching is greater than the correction coefficient under line direct transmission.

[0027] In some embodiments, the unit features further include: a location score, correspondingly, the path score = a * heat dissipation score + b * location score;

[0028] Wherein, a and b are the first weight and the second weight, respectively, and the higher the temperature value, the higher the heat dissipation score; the closer the optional unit is to the center point of the optical switch, the higher the position score.

[0029] In some embodiments, at least one of the excitation signals is a pulse signal or thermal energy.

[0030] In some embodiments, when the excitation signal is thermal energy, the exciter is a heating electrode.

[0031] The present invention also provides an optical switching system, the optical switching system comprising:

[0032] An optical switch, the optical switch comprising:

[0033] At least one row bus, at least one column bus intersecting the at least one row bus, and a plurality of basic units formed at the intersection of the at least one row bus and the at least one column bus, the basic unit comprising: a microring resonator coupled to the row bus and the column bus respectively, a phase change material region integrated on the microring resonator, and an exciter for applying an excitation signal to the phase change material to control the phase change state of the phase change material region;

[0034] In this embodiment, a temperature sensor is provided in at least one set of basic units. Correspondingly, the set of basic units includes: a type of basic unit in which the temperature sensor is provided, and a type of basic unit in which the type of basic unit is provided adjacent to the type of basic unit.

[0035] The optical switch system further includes a control module, the control module comprising:

[0036] A determination unit is used to determine whether the basic unit is an optional unit; wherein, the optional unit refers to a basic unit that can be used to transmit optical signals in the next time period;

[0037] If the judgment result of the judgment unit is yes, then the reading unit is entered. The reading unit is used to obtain the temperature reading associated with the optional unit through the temperature sensor.

[0038] A temperature determination unit is used to determine a temperature value based on the category of the optional unit through a temperature reading; wherein, when the optional unit is a type I basic unit, the temperature reading is used as the temperature value of the optional unit; when the optional unit is a type II basic unit, the temperature value of the optional unit is predicted based on the temperature gradient change law.

[0039] A modulation unit is used to select the modulation amplitude of the selectable unit according to the temperature value, wherein when the excitation signal is a pulse signal, the modulation amplitude is the energy or intensity of the pulse excitation.

[0040] In some embodiments, when the temperature value is greater than a preset temperature threshold, the optional unit is marked as a cooling unit.

[0041] In some embodiments, the control module includes:

[0042] A path selection unit is configured to select at least one candidate signal path from a plurality of selectable units;

[0043] The candidate signal path is scored to obtain a path score; wherein the path score is a feature value of the unit score of at least two selectable units traversed by the candidate signal path; wherein the unit score is determined by unit features, the unit features including: temperature value, and the higher the temperature value, the lower the unit score;

[0044] When the pathway score is greater than or equal to a preset score threshold, the candidate signal pathway is identified as a recommended signal pathway.

[0045] Beneficial technical effects:

[0046] With the explosive growth in bandwidth demands from data centers, high-performance computing, and artificial intelligence, the design specifications of optical switches will also expand accordingly. For example, the number of basic units in micro-ring optical switches will increase. However, because the basic units (especially the micro-rings) are affected by temperature or other neighboring micro-rings (such as thermal crosstalk), their stability during long-term operation is difficult to guarantee.

[0047] For micro-ring optical switches, this invention provides a method for selecting a modulation scheme (such as modulation amplitude) based on temperature, thereby enhancing the adaptability of the optical switch to different temperature environments to a certain extent. Furthermore, by arranging temperature sensors at intervals, the large-scale expansion of the optical switch's size can be limited to some extent.

[0048] Furthermore, this invention provides a line selection mechanism to facilitate the stable operation of large-scale optical switching matrices. Specifically, the line selection mechanism can involve two levels of selection: 1) assessing the availability of basic units to distinguish between optional units and cooling units, reducing or avoiding the failure risk caused by overheating of individual units; 2) coordinating the evaluation of the transmission suitability of the line (e.g., scoring) by combining the availability of units with the overall line quality (e.g., signal transmission difficulty).

[0049] Specifically, for the evaluation of basic units, only temperature sensors arranged at intervals can be used to predictively measure the temperature of the basic units of the global architecture. Furthermore, during temperature prediction, an operating mode is introduced to correct the gradient prediction results, thereby reducing or avoiding the neglect of actual overheating problems due to prediction errors. Attached Figure Description

[0050] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. In all the drawings, similar elements or parts are generally identified by similar reference numerals. The elements or parts in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without any creative effort.

[0051] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an exemplary optical switch according to the present invention;

[0052] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the distribution of multiple signal paths;

[0053] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing the distribution of temperature sensors in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0054] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the signal input and output architecture of a large-scale optical switch in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0055] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the operation process of an optical switch in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0056] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the module architecture of an optical switch system in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0057] Summary of reference numerals in the attached diagram: 1. Column bus; 2. Row bus; 3. Intersection point; 4. Basic unit; 4a. First unit; 4b. Second unit; 4c. Third unit; 4d. Fourth unit; 5. Phase change material region; 6. Micro-ring resonator; 7. Temperature sensor; L1. First signal path; L2. Second signal path; L3. Third signal path; L4. Fourth signal path. Detailed Implementation

[0058] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0059] In this document, suffixes such as "module," "part," or "unit" used to denote elements are used only for the purpose of illustrative purposes and have no specific meaning in themselves. Therefore, "module," "part," or "unit" may be used interchangeably.

[0060] In this document, the terms "upper," "lower," "inner," "outer," "front," "rear," "one end," and "the other end," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing the present invention and for simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the present invention. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0061] In this document, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installed," "equipped with," "connected," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, "connection" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection, a direct connection, or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can be a connection within two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0062] In this document, "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed related items.

[0063] In this article, "multiple" means two or more, that is, it includes two, three, four, five, etc.

[0064] Example 1:

[0065] This invention provides a method for operating an optical switch. The optical switch's architecture is arranged as follows: Figures 1-4 As shown.

[0066] See Figure 1 As shown, the optical switch includes: at least one row bus 2, at least one column bus 1 intersecting the at least one row bus 2, and a plurality of basic units 4 formed at the intersection of the at least one row bus 2 and the at least one column bus 1. The basic unit 4 includes: a micro-ring resonator 6 coupled to the row bus and the column bus respectively, a phase change material region integrated on the micro-ring resonator 6 (hereinafter referred to as micro-ring), and an exciter, the exciter being used to apply an excitation signal to the phase change material to control the phase change state of the phase change material region.

[0067] Temperature sensors are spaced apart among the multiple basic units. For example, a temperature sensor is provided in at least one group of basic units. Correspondingly, the group of basic units includes: a first type of basic unit in which the temperature sensor is disposed, and a second type of basic unit adjacent to the first type of basic unit.

[0068] Correspondingly, see Figure 5 As shown, the method includes:

[0069] S101, determine whether the basic unit is an optional unit; wherein, the optional unit refers to a basic unit that can be used to transmit optical signals in the next time period;

[0070] For example, in some embodiments, with Figure 4 For example, when an optical signal needs to enter from In1 and exit from Out4, the multiple basic units used to form the fourth signal path L4 can be marked as optional units. Next, the availability of these optional units can be evaluated.

[0071] Alternatively, in some embodiments, when the temperature value of a basic unit is lower than a set temperature threshold, the basic unit can be marked as an optional unit.

[0072] If the judgment result of S102 and S101 is yes, then the following steps are allowed to be executed:

[0073] S103, the temperature reading associated with the optional unit is obtained through the temperature sensor;

[0074] S104, determining the temperature value based on the type of the optional unit using a temperature reading; wherein, S104 includes:

[0075] When the optional unit is one of the basic units, the temperature reading is taken as the temperature value of the optional unit.

[0076] When the optional unit is one of the two basic units, the temperature value of the optional unit is predicted according to the temperature gradient change law;

[0077] S105, Select the modulation amplitude of the optional unit according to the temperature value.

[0078] In some embodiments, when the excitation signal is a pulse signal, the modulation amplitude is the energy or intensity of the pulse excitation.

[0079] It should be noted that when the microring is located in different temperature environments, the difficulty of modulating or changing the state of the microring increases, and the modulation amplitude also increases. For example, under the same modulation target, different modulation amplitudes are required in environments of 25℃ and 50℃.

[0080] For example, in some embodiments, the row bus and column bus can be optical waveguides.

[0081] In some embodiments, the microring resonator can be directly coupled to the row bus and column bus, or it can be indirectly coupled to the row bus or column bus through branch waveguides extending from the row bus or column bus.

[0082] Preferably, in some embodiments, a temperature sensor can be used to monitor multiple basic units. For example, the temperature sensor is placed in one of the basic units (which can be considered a type of basic unit) to directly measure the temperature of that basic unit. The temperatures of the remaining basic units can be predicted based on temperature gradient changes. Figure 3 An exemplary arrangement of temperature sensor 7 is shown.

[0083] For example, at least two temperature sensors 7 are provided in the architecture of an optical switch, and one or more basic units may be distributed between the two temperature sensors. The temperature gradient relationship of the material can be determined according to the type of material used in the optical switch. Therefore, the temperature value of the basic unit (in some embodiments, this temperature value may also be referred to as a predicted value) can be derived based on the position of the basic unit relative to the two temperature sensors and the temperature gradient relationship.

[0084] For example, a temperature sensor can be placed near the microring resonator to measure the temperature of the microring resonator.

[0085] In some embodiments, see Figure 3 As shown, a set of basic units includes: a first unit 4a, a second unit 4b, a third unit 4c, and a fourth unit 4d. A temperature sensor 7 is installed in the first unit 4a. Therefore, the first unit 4a is considered a type of basic unit, while the second to fourth units are types of basic units. The temperature value of the first unit 4a can be directly represented by the temperature reading of the temperature sensor 7, while the temperature values ​​of the second to fourth units can be obtained by gradient prediction from the temperature readings.

[0086] It should be noted that by setting the temperature sensors at intervals in this embodiment, the overall size of the large-scale optical switch can be controlled to a certain extent, while also reducing the cost of temperature monitoring.

[0087] This invention provides a two-dimensional optical switch matrix based on a hybrid integration of phase change material and microring resonators. This invention achieves zero static power consumption and nanosecond-level switching speeds, while also possessing the potential for large-scale integration.

[0088] Among them, the architecture of the optical switch is as follows: Figures 1-4The optical switch is formed by arranging multiple column buses and row buses in a cross pattern, with basic units formed at the intersections of the column buses and row buses. In this embodiment, the basic unit is also referred to as a PCM-micro-ring switch unit.

[0089] See Figure 1 As shown, the PCM-microring switch unit is the basic unit constituting the entire optical switch matrix, located at point 3, the intersection of two vertical waveguides, and includes:

[0090] A microring resonator 6 (referred to as microring) is coupled to a horizontal input / through waveguide (equivalent to row bus 2) and a vertical download / upload waveguide (equivalent to column bus 1).

[0091] A phase change material region 5 (i.e., the PCM region) is integrated onto the microring resonator. This PCM region permanently alters the effective refractive index and resonant wavelength of the microring through interaction with the evanescent field of the microring.

[0092] An exciter (such as a micro exciter) is integrated near the PCM region to apply external excitation signals (such as electrical pulses or optical pulses) to precisely control the state switching of the PCM.

[0093] In a preferred embodiment, the excitation signal used by the exciter is a light pulse signal.

[0094] Specifically, the exciter can be a grating coupler placed next to a microring or phase change material, which can be used to receive external optical pulse signals.

[0095] For example, in other embodiments, the exciter can be an external device, such as a laser, which can directly emit optical pulse signals to the PCM region in the form of spatial light.

[0096] For example, in some embodiments, one or more lasers can be used to emit optical pulse signals. Specifically, taking two lasers as an example, the optical pulse signals provided by the two lasers can be used for confocal modulation, that is, the PCM region can be modulated using the confocal point generated by the two optical pulse signals.

[0097] Alternatively, in other embodiments, the exciter is a heating electrode (such as a micro-heating electrode) used to generate localized Joule heating.

[0098] Working mechanism of PCM-micro-ring switching unit (two stable states):

[0099] "Straight-through" state: A short, strong "reset" pulse (causing rapid quenching after melting of the PCM) is applied by the exciter, transforming the PCM into an amorphous state. In this state, the PCM has a low refractive index, minimal impact on the intrinsic modes of the microring, and the resonant wavelength of the microring is far from the input light wavelength. At this point, the input light passes directly through the straight-through waveguide, almost unaffected by the microring.

[0100] "Crossover" state: A "setup" pulse (long and moderate in length, causing PMS to anneal and crystallize) is applied by the exciter to transform the PCM into a crystalline state. In this state, the PCM has a high refractive index, which significantly redshifts the resonant wavelength of the microring. When the input light wavelength is aligned with the resonant wavelength of the microring at this time, the optical power will be coupled from the through waveguide into the microring and further coupled into the vertical waveguide, achieving a 90-degree diversion of the light output.

[0101] The overall architecture of the optical switch is an N×N optical switch matrix. This matrix consists of a two-dimensional crossover network formed by N input waveguides and N output waveguides. At each crossover point, a PCM-micro-ring switch unit as described above is placed. By independently programming and controlling the state of the PCM in the basic unit at each crossover point, a non-blocking connection from any input port to any output port can be achieved.

[0102] It is understood that the specific modulation method of the micro-ring resonator or PCM can adopt other existing modulation methods, and this invention does not limit this.

[0103] In some embodiments, it also includes:

[0104] When the temperature value is greater than the preset temperature threshold, the optional unit is marked as a cooling unit.

[0105] For example, in some embodiments, when the temperature value corresponding to a basic unit is less than or equal to a temperature threshold, the basic unit can be marked as an optional unit, that is, allowing the light signal to pass through. Conversely, when the temperature value corresponding to a basic unit is greater than the temperature threshold, the basic unit can be marked as a cooling unit to suspend its use, allowing it sufficient time to dissipate heat.

[0106] In some embodiments, the steps further include:

[0107] Select at least one candidate signal path from a plurality of selectable units;

[0108] The candidate signal path is scored to obtain a path score; wherein the path score is a feature value of the unit score of at least two selectable units traversed by the candidate signal path; wherein the unit score of the selectable unit is determined by the unit feature, the unit feature including: temperature value, and the higher the temperature value, the lower the unit score;

[0109] When the pathway score is greater than or equal to a preset score threshold, the candidate signal pathway is identified as a recommended signal pathway.

[0110] In some embodiments, the feature value can be an average or a sum. For example, the pathway score can be the sum of multiple unit scores or the average of multiple unit scores.

[0111] For example, cell scores can be determined directly by temperature; the lower the temperature of the selectable cell, the higher the cell score.

[0112] For example, see Figure 2 As shown, multiple signal paths can be selected between the input and output ports, such as the first signal path L1, the second signal path L2, and the third signal path L3. Preferably, when the basic units traversed by the first signal path L1, the second signal path L2, and the third signal path L3 are all selectable units, the first signal path L1 is usually preferred as the recommended signal path because the first signal path L1 has fewer turning points. Specifically, when a signal needs to switch from one line (such as a bus) to another line, it is considered as a turning point (i.e., a line switch).

[0113] Furthermore, when the matrix size of the optical switches is large and the operating time is long, the temperature of the optical switches may gradually increase, which may affect the normal operation of each basic unit. In this case, in order to control heat accumulation, it is preferable to select a relatively low-temperature line for transmission.

[0114] This embodiment provides a line switching method that can control the heat generated by the optical switch while maintaining its continuous operation.

[0115] In some embodiments, the unit features further include: an operating mode (e.g., the operating mode of the basic unit at the previous moment can be identified), wherein when the optical signal needs to switch buses when passing through the optional unit, the operating mode is line switching (i.e., a turn is generated), and when the optical signal does not switch buses when passing through the optional unit, the operating mode is line direct transmission; correspondingly, the temperature value = predicted value * λ.

[0116] The predicted value is the predicted temperature calculated based on the temperature reading and the measurement distance, where the measurement distance is the distance between the optional unit and the corresponding temperature sensor; λ is the correction coefficient, where different working modes correspond to different correction coefficients, and the correction coefficient under line switching is greater than the correction coefficient under line direct transmission.

[0117] For example, in some embodiments, the correction factor for direct line transmission can be 1, while the correction factor for line switching is greater than 1. Specifically, when an optical signal is redirected, higher power may be required to ensure accurate signal transmission, which may also generate more heat. Therefore, by taking the redirection factor into account, the line selection mechanism can be optimized to some extent.

[0118] For example, in some embodiments, the operating mode may refer to the operating mode that the basic unit was in during a previous period. For instance, when the basic unit was in line switching mode for a period of time, there may be a large accumulation of heat, so its actual temperature may be higher than the predicted temperature.

[0119] Alternatively, in other embodiments, the operating mode may refer to the operating mode of the basic unit in the next time period. For example, even if the current temperature is low, the correction factor can be increased considering that the temperature of the basic unit may rise more rapidly due to signal shifts. This correction of the predicted value based on the operating mode can also provide early warning of the risk of temperature rise in the future.

[0120] This embodiment provides a method for correcting and predicting temperature based on operating modes. This method improves the reliability of temperature prediction while reducing the necessary settings of the temperature sensor. In other words, this correction method can avoid or reduce the risk of the microring being affected by inaccurate temperature gradient prediction. For example, it can prevent temporary failure of some optional units due to excessively high actual temperatures during operation (especially higher than the predicted temperature). Furthermore, it can, to some extent, prevent unreasonable modulation amplitude caused by inaccurate actual temperatures, thus avoiding ineffective modulation of the microring.

[0121] In some embodiments, the unit features further include: a location score, correspondingly, the path score = a * heat dissipation score + b * location score;

[0122] Wherein, a and b are the first weight and the second weight, respectively, and the higher the temperature value, the higher the heat dissipation score; the closer the optional unit is to the center point of the optical switch, the higher the position score.

[0123] For example, in some embodiments, users can pre-set a parameter comparison table for heat dissipation rating and temperature value based on the factory settings or design specifications of the optical switch.

[0124] Understandably, the specific values ​​of the first and second weights can be manually set by the user.

[0125] For example, optical switches are typically manufactured from wafers, and the yield of a wafer usually decreases gradually from the center to the edge. Therefore, in this embodiment, optional units located at the center of the wafer are preferably assigned a higher position score, while optional units located at the wafer edge are assigned a lower position score.

[0126] Therefore, in this embodiment, the original architecture of the optical switch and the state parameters during actual operation can be combined to switch the lines in the optical switch, so as to reduce the loss of local devices while maintaining the high-speed operation of the optical switch (such as switching to a cooling state to suspend operation when there is overheating in a local area).

[0127] In some embodiments, the excitation signal is a pulse signal or thermal energy.

[0128] In some embodiments, when the excitation signal is thermal energy, the exciter is a heating electrode.

[0129] It is understood that the present invention has the following technical advantages:

[0130] True zero static power consumption: The switching state is determined by the physical phase state of the PCM, and once configured, no energy is required for maintenance. This power saving is revolutionary for large-scale switching matrices consisting of tens of thousands of cells.

[0131] Ultra-high switching speed: The phase transition process of PCM can be completed on the order of nanoseconds, making the reconfiguration speed of the entire switching matrix several orders of magnitude faster than that of thermo-optical switches, which can meet the needs of future dynamic optical networks for fast scheduling.

[0132] High stability and anti-crosstalk: Since the state maintenance does not depend on a continuous electric or thermal field, thermal crosstalk problems are avoided. The switching state is extremely stable and is not affected by ambient temperature fluctuations or interference from neighboring units.

[0133] Potential for large-scale integration: compact structure (small microring size), compatible with standard silicon photonics processes, and easy to implement high-density switch arrays on the chip.

[0134] Multi-level control potential: By controlling the degree of amorphization of PCM, the resonant wavelength can be continuously adjusted, thereby constructing multi-level optical switches or tunable optical attenuators, increasing functional flexibility.

[0135] Example 2

[0136] The present invention also provides an optical switching system, the optical switching system comprising:

[0137] An optical switch, the optical switch comprising:

[0138] At least one row bus 2, at least one column bus 1 intersecting the at least one row bus 2, and a plurality of basic units 4 are formed at the intersection of the at least one row bus 2 and the at least one column bus 1, the basic unit 4 comprising: a micro-ring resonator 6 coupled to the row bus and the column bus respectively, a phase change material region integrated on the micro-ring resonator 6, and an exciter for applying an excitation signal to the phase change material to control the phase change state of the phase change material region;

[0139] Temperature sensors are spaced apart among the multiple basic units. For example, a temperature sensor is provided in at least one group of basic units. Correspondingly, the group of basic units includes: a first type of basic unit in which the temperature sensor is provided, and a second type of basic unit adjacent to the first type of basic unit.

[0140] See Figure 6 As shown, the optical switch system further includes: a control module 100, the control module comprising:

[0141] The determination unit 101 is used to determine whether the basic unit is an optional unit; wherein, the optional unit refers to a basic unit that can be used to transmit optical signals in the next time period;

[0142] If the judgment result of the judgment unit is yes, then the reading unit 102 is entered. The reading unit is used to obtain the temperature reading associated with the optional unit through the temperature sensor.

[0143] Temperature determination unit 103 is used to determine a temperature value based on the category of the optional unit through a temperature reading; wherein, when the optional unit is a type I basic unit, the temperature reading is used as the temperature value of the optional unit; when the optional unit is a type II basic unit, the temperature value of the optional unit is predicted based on the temperature gradient change law.

[0144] The modulation unit 104 is used to select the modulation amplitude of the selectable unit according to the temperature value, wherein when the excitation signal is a pulse signal, the modulation amplitude is the energy or intensity of the pulse excitation.

[0145] In some embodiments, when the temperature value is greater than a preset temperature threshold, the optional unit is marked as a cooling unit.

[0146] In some embodiments, the control module includes:

[0147] A path selection unit is configured to select at least one candidate signal path from a plurality of selectable units;

[0148] The candidate signal path is scored to obtain a path score; wherein the path score is a feature value of the unit score of at least two selectable units traversed by the candidate signal path; wherein the unit score of the selectable unit is determined by the unit feature, the unit feature including: temperature value, and the higher the temperature value, the lower the unit score;

[0149] When the pathway score is greater than or equal to a preset score threshold, the candidate signal pathway is identified as a recommended signal pathway.

[0150] Phase change materials (PCMs) are a class of materials that can reversibly switch between an amorphous and crystalline state under external excitation, and their refractive index undergoes a significant and non-volatile change. Preferably, SbSe can be used as the PCM.

[0151] In some embodiments, the phase change material is made of a superlattice material; or, the phase change material is a chalcogenide compound containing antimony or selenium, or the phase change material is a chalcogenide compound, wherein the chalcogenide compound includes Sb₂Se₃ or SbSe, Sb₂S₃ or SbS, Ge₂Sb₂Se₄Te; or, the phase change material includes a compound or alloy containing a combination of elements of germanium, antimony, selenium, and vanadium oxide, or a mixture of said compounds; the compound includes NbOx, GeTe, GeSb, GaSb, AgInSbTe, InSb, InSbTe, InSe, SbTe, TeGeSbS, AgSbSe, SbSe, GeSbMnSn, AgSbTe, AuSbTe, and AlSb.

[0152] It is understood that the optical switch system in this embodiment can implement the operating methods or steps in any of the above embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0153] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Unless otherwise specified, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes that element.

[0154] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the methods of the above embodiments can be implemented by means of software plus necessary general-purpose hardware platforms. Of course, they can also be implemented by hardware, but in many cases the former is a better implementation method. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present invention, or the part that contributes to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium (such as ROM / RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk) and includes several instructions to cause a computer terminal (which may be a mobile phone, computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in the various embodiments of the present invention.

[0155] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. The specific embodiments described above are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art can make many other forms under the guidance of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims. All of these forms are within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method of operating an optical switch, characterized by, The optical switch comprises: at least one row bus (2), at least one column bus (1) crossing the at least one row bus (2), and a plurality of basic units (4) formed at the intersections of the at least one row bus (2) and the at least one column bus (1), respectively, the basic units (4) comprising: a microring resonator (6) coupled to the row bus and the column bus, respectively, a phase change material region integrated on the microring resonator (6), and an exciter for applying an excitation signal to the phase change material to control the phase change state of the phase change material region; wherein a temperature sensor is arranged in at least one group of basic units, and the group of basic units comprises: a first type of basic unit in which the temperature sensor is arranged, and a second type of basic unit adjacent to the first type of basic unit; Correspondingly, the method comprises: S101, determining whether the basic unit is a selectable unit; wherein the selectable unit refers to a basic unit that can be used for optical signal transmission in the next time period; S102, when the result of S101 is yes, then the following steps are allowed to be executed: S103, obtaining a temperature reading associated with the selectable unit through the temperature sensor; S104, determining a temperature value from the temperature reading according to the category of the selectable unit; wherein S104 comprises: when the selectable unit is the first type of basic unit, then the temperature reading is taken as the temperature value of the selectable unit; when the selectable unit is the second type of basic unit, then the temperature value of the selectable unit is predicted according to the temperature gradient change rule; S105, selecting a modulation amplitude of the selectable unit according to the temperature value, wherein when the excitation signal is a pulse signal, the modulation amplitude is the energy or intensity of the pulse excitation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, Further comprising: when the temperature value is greater than a preset temperature threshold, then the selectable unit is marked as a cooling unit.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, Further comprising the steps of: selecting at least one candidate signal path from a plurality of selectable units; scoring the candidate signal path to obtain a path score; wherein the path score is a characteristic value of the unit scores of at least two selectable units experienced by the candidate signal path; wherein the unit score is determined by a unit characteristic, and the higher the temperature value, the lower the unit score; when the path score is greater than or equal to a preset score threshold, then the candidate signal path is identified as a recommended signal path.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, The unit characteristic further comprises: a working mode, wherein when the optical signal needs to switch the bus when passing through the selectable unit, the working mode is line switching, and when the optical signal does not switch the bus when passing through the selectable unit, the working mode is line direct transmission; correspondingly, the temperature value = predicted value * λ; Wherein, the predicted value is a predicted temperature calculated according to the temperature reading and a measured distance between the selectable unit and the temperature sensor; and λ is a correction coefficient, wherein different working modes correspond to different correction coefficients, and the correction coefficient under the line switching is greater than the correction coefficient under the line direct transmission.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein, The unit feature further includes a position score, and correspondingly, a channel score = a * heat dissipation score + b * position score. Wherein, a and b are respectively a first weight and a second weight, and the greater the temperature value, the higher the heat dissipation score; and the closer the selectable unit is to the center point of the optical switch, the higher the position score.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein, At least one of the excitation signals is a pulse signal or thermal energy.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein, When the excitation signal is thermal energy, the exciter is a heating electrode.

8. An optical switch system, characterized by The optical switch system includes: An optical switch includes: At least one row bus (2), at least one column bus (1) arranged to cross the at least one row bus (2), and a plurality of basic units (4) are respectively formed at the intersections of the at least one row bus (2) and the at least one column bus (1), the basic unit (4) includes: a microring resonator (6) coupled to the row bus and the column bus respectively, a phase change material region integrated on the microring resonator (6), and an exciter for applying an excitation signal to the phase change material to control the phase change state of the phase change material region; Wherein, a temperature sensor is arranged in at least one group of basic units, and correspondingly, the group of basic units includes: a first type of basic unit, the temperature sensor is arranged in the first type of basic unit, and a second type of basic unit, the second type of basic unit is arranged adjacent to the first type of basic unit; The optical switch system further includes a control module, the control module includes: A judgment unit is used to judge whether the basic unit is a selectable unit; wherein the selectable unit refers to a basic unit that can be used for transmission of optical signals in the next time period; When the judgment result of the judgment unit is yes, enter the reading unit, the reading unit is used to obtain the temperature reading associated with the selectable unit through the temperature sensor; A temperature determination unit is used to determine a temperature value from the temperature reading according to the category of the selectable unit; wherein when the selectable unit is the first type of basic unit, the temperature reading is taken as the temperature value of the selectable unit; and when the selectable unit is the second type of basic unit, the temperature value of the selectable unit is predicted according to the temperature gradient change rule; A modulation unit is used to select a modulation amplitude of the selectable unit according to the temperature value, wherein when the excitation signal is a pulse signal, the modulation amplitude is the energy or intensity of the pulse excitation.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein, When the temperature value is greater than a preset temperature threshold, the selectable unit is marked as a cooling unit.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein, The control module includes: A channel selection unit is used to select at least one to-be-selected signal channel from a plurality of selectable units; scoring the candidate signal path to obtain a path score; wherein the path score is an eigenvalue of cell scores of at least two selectable cells experienced by the candidate signal path; wherein the cell score is determined by a cell feature, and the cell feature comprises a temperature value, and the higher the temperature value, the lower the cell score; when the path score is greater than or equal to a preset score threshold, identifying the candidate signal path as a recommended signal path.

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