Patent ID: 7826693
Filing Date: 2010-11-02
Classification: G02F,H01S,H04J

Abstract:
1. A reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer, comprising: at least one active optical component operable to convert between electrical energy and optical energy; a first multiplexer-demultiplexer communicatively coupled with said at least one active optical component, said first optical multiplexer-demultiplexer adapted to receive an input signal and demultiplex the input signal into a plurality of individual wavelength signals, and adapted to receive a plurality of individual wavelength signals and multiplex the plurality of individual wavelength signals into an output signal; a second multiplexer-demultiplexer, said second multiplexer-demultiplexer adapted to receive an add signal and demultiplex the add signal into a plurality of individual wavelength signals; a plurality of waveguides, each of the plurality of waveguides communicatively coupled with said first multiplexer-demultiplexer and said second multiplexer-demultiplexer, each of said plurality of waveguides adapted to receive one of the plurality of individual wavelength signals from said first multiplexer-demultiplexer and one of said plurality of individual wavelength signals from said second multiplexer-demultiplexer and communicate the signals to said first multiplexer-demultiplexer; and wherein said first multiplexer-demultiplexer, said plurality of waveguides, and said second multiplexer-demultiplexer are substantially formed in a first waveguide layer having a first effective index of refraction, wherein said at least one active component is substantially formed in a second waveguide layer, said second waveguide layer optically coupled to the first waveguide layer and having a second effective index of refraction, and further wherein said first effective index of refraction and said second effective index of refraction have values causing a first mode of light to propagate primarily in said first waveguide layer and a second mode of light to propagate primarily in said second waveguide layer where the first waveguide layer and second waveguide layer overlap.