A large scale, non-blocking fiber optic cross-connect system consists of multiple stages, including a central multifiber per connection system. The number of ports of this cross-connect system scales to over 10,000, in an incremental, modular, field expandable approach. Two separate arrays of “edge” cross-connect systems using KBS methodology are positioned on opposite sides of a central core cross-connect system, wherein the core system is comprised of switchable blocks of multi-fiber trunk lines, each terminated in a single connector that is reconfigurable by robotic means. The trunk lines between edge cross-connects are controlled by a trunk line management system to provision/deprovision blocks of multiple connections at a time in a “core” cross-connect circuit block between edge cross-connects. The core system is configured to controllably interconnect the physically separate edge cross-connect systems which concurrently direct data along selected paths to and from the central core circuit block.

The optical switch 10 comprises a first waveguide 11, a second waveguide 12, and an exchanger 13. The first waveguide 11 comprises a first end E1 and a second end E2. The second waveguide 12 comprises a third end E3 and a fourth end E4, respectively located on the first end E1 side and the second end E2 side as viewed from the center of the first waveguide 11. The exchanger 13 comprises: a first waveguide section 21 configuring a directional coupler together with the first waveguide 11 and including a phase changing material 23; and a second waveguide section 22 configuring a directional coupler together with the second waveguide 12 and including a phase change material 24. The exchanger 13 inputs electromagnetic waves, input from the first end E1 and output from the first waveguide section 21, to the third end E3 side of the second waveguide section 22. The exchanger 13 inputs electromagnetic waves, input from the third end E3 and output from the second waveguide section 22, to the second end E2 side of the first waveguide section 21.

Applications of robotics applied to patch-panels and cross-connects to improve operational processes within data centers and communications networks. Systems and architectures to perform frequent, accurate and low-cost reconfigurations and measurements of the physical network are described, thereby eliminating labor and time delays when completing routine tasks such physical network provisioning and reconfiguration.

A wavelength conversion device disclosed adopts a drive gear and driven gear as a main transmission structure, and disposes optical fiber plugs at a center of the driven gear. When a central shaft of the driven gear is unmovable, the rotation of the drive gear will drive the driven gear to rotate, and the rotation of driven gear will drive the optical fiber insertion rod to move up and down, thereby completing an insertion-extraction operation of the optical fiber insertion rod. When the central shaft of the driven gear is movable, i.e., when the optical fiber plugging rod is completely above the baseplate, the driven gear is locked with the optical fiber plug and thus they both cannot be rotated about their own axis, the driven gear will drive the fiber displacement plate to rotate along the drive gear under the action of the drive gear, thereby realizing the rotational translation of the optical fiber plugs, and reaching the switching wavelengths of laser at the optical fiber output interface. The wavelength conversion device is simple and easy for ordinary medical personnel to operate, thereby promoting the development of laser therapeutic instruments in the medical field.

A method for producing a microoptoelectromechanical component and a corresponding microoptoelectromechanical component. The microoptoelectromechanical component is equipped with a base substrate comprising a cavity which is formed therein and is closed by a covering substrate, an optical waveguide on the covering substrate above the cavity, which optical waveguide comprises a sheathed waveguide core, an electrical contact element in the region of the surrounding covering substrate, wherein a contact pad formed by an electrically conductive polysilicon layer is arranged underneath the electrical contact element, wherein the optical waveguide and the covering substrate located thereunder are divided into a stationary portion and a deflectable portion, which can be docked to the stationary portion by electrically deflecting the corresponding portion of the covering wafer.

An automated fiber optic patch-panel/cross-connect system comprised of a stacked arrangement of multiple replaceable modules, including a first multiplicity of fiber modules, each with a second multiplicity of reconfigurable internal fiber connectors; a common robot module shared among fiber modules, wherein any connector within a fiber module in the system can be moved to any other connector of any other fiber module in the system; a power management module that distributes electrical power to the fiber modules and the robot module; and a server module that generates commands that are placed on communication bus to activate robot and fiber modules. The modules are physically separated and spatially arranged to be serviced replaced without interrupting fiber connections previously established in the system.

Photonic devices are disclosed including a first cladding layer, a first electrical contact comprising a first lead coupled to a first dielectric portion, a second electrical contact comprising a second lead coupled to a second dielectric portion, a waveguide structure comprising a slab layer comprising a first material, and a second cladding layer. The slab layer may be coupled to the first dielectric portion of the first electrical contact and the second dielectric portion of the second electrical contact. The first dielectric portion and the second dielectric portion may have a dielectric constant greater than a dielectric constant of the first material.

A large scale, non-blocking fiber optic cross-connect system consists of multiple stages, including a central multifiber per connection system. The number of ports of this cross-connect system scales to over 10,000, in an incremental, modular, field expandable approach. Two separate arrays of “edge” cross-connect systems using KBS methodology are positioned on opposite sides of a central core cross-connect system, wherein the core system is comprised of switchable blocks of multi-fiber trunk lines, each terminated in a single connector that is reconfigurable by robotic means. The trunk lines between edge cross-connects are controlled by a trunk line management system to provision/deprovision blocks of multiple connections at a time in a “core” cross-connect circuit block between edge cross- connects. The core system is configured to controllably interconnect the physically separate edge cross-connect systems which concurrently direct data along selected paths to and from the central core circuit block.

An optical switching device (20) includes a substrate (39) and first and second optical waveguides (23, 25) having respective first and second tapered ends (62, 64), which are fixed on the substrate in mutual proximity one to another. A pair of electrodes (36, 38) is disposed on the substrate with a gap therebetween. A cantilever beam (32) is disposed on the substrate within the gap and configured to deflect transversely between first and second positions within the gap in response to a potential applied between the electrodes. A third optical waveguide (21) is mounted on the cantilever beam and has a third tapered end (60) disposed between the first and second tapered ends of the first and second waveguides, so that the third tapered end is in proximity with the first tapered end when the cantilever beam is in the first position and is in proximity with the second tapered end when the cantilever beam is in the second position.

Photonic devices are disclosed including a first cladding layer, a first electrical contact comprising a first lead coupled to a first dielectric portion, a second electrical contact comprising a second lead coupled to a second dielectric portion, a waveguide structure comprising a slab layer comprising a first material, and a second cladding layer. The slab layer may be coupled to the first dielectric portion of the first electrical contact and the second dielectric portion of the second electrical contact. The first dielectric portion and the second dielectric portion may have a dielectric constant greater than a dielectric constant of the first material.