Optical switch for transmission network - has element receiving differing wavelength signals in one channel for re-orienting them to second channel in accordance with wavelength

摘要

The switch has a signal input port (3) e.g. an optical fibre, which transmits light signals with different given wavelengths ('lambda' 1, 'lambda' 2, 'lambda' 3) and a series of output ports (7,8,9) which selectively receive the signals transmitted by the input port (3). In this optical switch, a wavelength dispersive component (10), e.g. a diffraction grating, receives successively, at a given angle ('theta') of incidence, the various input signals. It distributes these signals into the output ports (7,8,9) which are orientated with different angles ('theta' r1, 'theta' r2, 'theta' r3) determined as a function of the given wavelengths ('lambda' 1, 'lambda' 2, 'lambda' 3). Each signal with a given wavelength is received by one of the output ports (7,8,9). The device therefore switches the various light signals according to their wavelength, and can form part of a transmission.