Wavelength Selective Switch Aspheric Lens Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wavelength selective switches (WSS) face challenges in scalability and cost as they require increasing the number of discrete components to support growing network service volumes, leading to high construction and maintenance costs, and calibration difficulties for NxM and NxN configurations.
Innovation Solution
A wavelength selective switch design that connects 1x(N-1) and 1x(M-1) components using a focusing transformation lens group, incorporating aspheric convex lenses and MEMS/LCOS switching engines, which reduces module size, simplifies calibration, and maintains low costs by minimizing the need for additional ports.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the number of discrete 1xM wavelength selective switches is increased to improve service switching capability, then the service switching capability is improved, but the device costs and construction complexity increase sharply
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple 1xM WSS functions into a single NxM WSS device by integrating N input fibers and M output fibers with a unified optical switching architecture. This merging approach provides equivalent service switching capability to using multiple discrete 1xM WSS while reducing the number of separate devices, module slots, and interconnections required, thereby lowering device complexity and costs.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple 1xM wavelength selective switches are interconnected to achieve NxM functionality, then the service volume capacity is improved, but the construction and operation and maintenance costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The NxM WSS device provides universal functionality that can handle any combination of N input ports to M output ports switching. This multi-functional design replaces the need for multiple specialized 1xM WSS devices and their complex interconnections, achieving the same service volume capacity while simplifying construction, operation, and maintenance to a single integrated device rather than multiple discrete components.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a 4x4 MEMS array is used to implement NxN cross function, then the cross-connect capability is improved, but the calibration difficulty and commissioning complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the NxN cross-connect function into independent input and output fiber arrays with corresponding switching elements. This segmentation allows each input fiber to be independently associated with each output fiber through controlled optical paths, enabling simplified calibration where each switching element can be calibrated independently rather than requiring complex simultaneous calibration of a monolithic 4x4 MEMS array.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables efficient implementation of a large quantity of ports with reduced component height and lower angle requirements, facilitating easier commissioning and reducing crosstalk, while maintaining low costs, especially for NxM WSS configurations with many ports.
Implementation Method 1
a focusing transformation lens group connected to the input-side switching engine and including two identical aspheric convex lens that are placed in parallel
Implementation Method 2
a diffraction grating 1, a focusing lens 2, an input-side reflector (MEMS) array 3 IN
Implementation Method 3
an input-side reflector (MEMS) array 3 IN , and an output-side reflector (MEMS) array 3 OUT
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A wavelength selective switch includes: N input ports, an input-side fiber array, an input-side collimator array, an input-side beam deformation and polarization conversion component, an input-side wave-demultiplexing component, an input-side switching engine, a focusing transformation lens group, an output-side switching engine, an output-side wave-combining component, an output-side beam deformation and polarization conversion component, an output-side collimator array, an output-side fiber array, and M output ports. The focusing transformation lens group includes two identical aspheric convex lenses that are placed in parallel, where a curvature from a center to an edge of a surface of the aspheric convex lens changes continuously, and is used to control focal lengths of light with different wavelengths. A spatial position of the focusing transformation lens group and the curvature from the center to the edge of the surface are so set that light with different wavelengths from the input-side switching engine is focused to a corresponding position of the output-side switching engine respectively.