Patent ID: 9459404
Filing Date: 2016-10-04
CPC Classification: B82Y,G02B,G02F,H04B,H04J,H04Q

Claim Text:
1. An optical signal router comprising: a plurality of interconnected optical routing elements forming a bi-directional routing array having a plurality of optical signal ports, the plurality of ports including at least four ports, each optical routing element comprising: a planar dielectric photonic crystal including a lattice of holes having a first linear defect adjacent to a second linear defect, the first and second linear defects extending in a first direction and being separated by a central row of lattice holes extending in the first direction, wherein the first linear defect in the lattice of holes forms a first single mode line defect waveguide, and the second linear defect in the lattice of holes forms a second single mode line defect waveguide, such that optical energy of one or more electromagnetic waves propagating within the first and/or second waveguides is selectively coupled between the first and second waveguides in that such optical energy is enabled to be partially or completely transferred between the first and second waveguides across the central row of lattice holes; and a modulation device configured to modulate a concentration of free-carriers in the dielectric photonic crystal, thereby modulating optical coupling selectivity between the first and second waveguides across the central row of lattice holes, wherein the plurality of optical routing elements are configured to enable routing an optical signal from any one of the plurality of ports to any other of the plurality of ports by selective activation of the modulation device of one or more of the plurality of optical routing elements, and wherein the lattice holes for at least one of the optical routing elements include a first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth row of lattice holes, each extending in the first direction, wherein the first, second and third rows of lattice holes are adjacent the first linear defect on a side of the first linear defect opposite to the location of the central row, with the second row of lattice holes located between the first and third row of lattice holes, and the first row of lattice holes located between the first linear defect and the second row of lattice holes, wherein the fourth, fifth and sixth rows of lattice holes are adjacent the second linear defect on a side of the second linear defect opposite to the location of the central row, the fifth row of lattice holes located between the fourth and sixth row of lattice holes, the fourth row of holes located between the second linear defect and the fourth row of lattice holes wherein consecutive lattice holes of the second row of have a size larger than a size of consecutive lattice holes of the first row and consecutive lattice holes of the third row, and consecutive lattice holes of the fifth row have a size larger than a size of consecutive lattice holes of the fourth row and consecutive lattice holes of the sixth row.