Wavelength Selective Switch Rotating Collimator Fine-Tuning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wavelength selective switches face challenges in fine-tuning beam positions due to proportional variations in emission positions with beam expander optical systems, leading to increased loss and difficulty in adjusting for shifts in beam position.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a rotating mechanism that allows the collimating optical system and optical fiber to rotate around a first axis perpendicular to the optical substrate, changing the incident angle of collimated light on the beam expander optical system, which reduces the proportional variation in emission angles and enables precise beam position adjustment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the incident position of wavelength-multiplexed light is parallel-moved with respect to the incident surface of the beam expander optical system, then the beam position can be adjusted, but the amount of variation in emission position increases in proportion to the magnification of the beam expander optical system, making fine-tuning difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the adjustment parameter from parallel movement of incident position to rotation of the collimating optical system around an optical axis. This parameter change transforms the linear relationship between adjustment amount and emission position variation into a rotational relationship, where the emission position variation becomes independent of the beam expander's magnification, enabling fine-tuning even with high magnification systems.
2Reliability
If a beam expander optical system is provided to expand the beam diameter, then cross-talk between light of each wavelength component can be prevented, but loss due to shift in beam position increases and cannot be easily reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a dynamic adjustment mechanism by making the collimating optical system rotatable around the optical axis. This dynamic capability allows the system to adapt and fine-tune the beam position after expansion, compensating for position shifts and reducing loss while maintaining the cross-talk prevention benefits of the beam expander.
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
This configuration allows for efficient fine-tuning of beam positions and reduces loss by decoupling the variation in emission angles from the magnification of the beam expander optical system, effectively addressing the challenge of beam position adjustments.
Implementation Method 1
a collimating optical system that is connected to one end of an optical fiber, collimates light from the optical fiber, and emits collimated light
Implementation Method 2
a beam expander optical system that receives, through an incident surface thereof, the collimated light emitted from the collimating optical system, expands a beam diameter of the collimated light, and emits the collimated light
Implementation Method 3
a rotating mechanism that rotates the one end of the optical fiber and the collimating optical system around a first rotation axis along a first direction perpendicular to the main surface of the optical substrate to thereby change an incident angle of the collimated light with respect to the incident surface of the beam expander optical system
Data Source
AI summary
In a wavelength selective switch, a holding member is used to rotate one end of optical fibers and a collimator array around a rotation axis to thereby change an incident angle of collimated light with respect to incident surfaces of a beam expander optical system. When the incident angle of the collimated light on the beam expander optical system is changed, an amount of variation in an emission angle of light from the beam expander optical system is not proportional (inversely proportional) to the magnification of the beam expander optical system. Thus, this wavelength selective switch can easily fine-tune the incident position (beam position) of light with respect to each reflecting surface of a MEMS mirror by rotating the holding member.