Optical cross connects and methods for use therewith are described herein. In an embodiment, an optical cross connect includes first and second mirror arrays, first and second light sources that respectively emit first and second color coded light beams (e.g., each of which includes red, green and blue light), and first and second cameras configured to respectively capture first and second color images of the first and second color coded light beams reflected respectively from the first and second mirror arrays. The optical cross connect also includes a controller configured to perform closed loop feedback control of the first and second mirror arrays, based on the first and second color images, when the controller controls how optical signals are transferred between individual optical fibers in a first bundle of optical fibers and individual optical fibers in a second bundle of optical fibers.

A method in an optical Wavelength Selective Switch, WSS, for multidirectional switching of optical signals. The optical WSS comprises a reflective element, a first tributary port and a second tributary port. The optical WSS switches (304) an optical signal between the first tributary port and the second tributary port with the reflective element.

An information-processing system having spherical and parabolic reflectors, optical signal processors, and detectors comprising optically active surfaces. The spherical reflector has an internal light-reflecting surface and a spherical processor with internal and external optically active surfaces, with its center coincident with that of the spherical reflector. The optical signal processor's internal and external surfaces include transmitters and detectors for transmitting and receiving a optically encoded signals along various distinct paths. A portion of the internal path coincides with a line that passes through the center of the sphere. Optical signals emitted from the external surface of the processing sphere and reflected by the internal surface of the external spherical reflector to neighboring regions of the processing sphere, enabling external relay of information around the sphere without congesting the internal cavity of the sphere. This makes possible multiple uses of the same optical frequency during a given time period.

Methods and apparatus are provided that configure a wider passband for one or more channels of a wavelength selective switch (WSS). When a wider passband route WSS and a normal width passband select switch are used in combination, crosstalk that may be introduced by the wider passband route WSS can be mitigated. The wider passband WSS can provide a passband that allows a maximum bandwidth of signal to pass on a given channel and avoid signal being attenuated at the channel edges, especially when channels have a reduced channel spacing, such as with 50 GHz spacing.

Embodiments of the present invention provide a liquid crystal grating-based optical switching apparatus, including an input collimator, an input polarization beam splitter, an input quarter-wave plate, a liquid crystal grating, an output quarter-wave plate, an output polarization beam splitter, and an output collimator. A transmission path is selected for an optical signal by changing a voltage of a liquid crystal grating so that the optical signal is output to a selected output.

A wavelength selective switch (WSS) apparatus is disclosed, which includes: a liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) phase array configured for selectively diverting a certain wavelength component of light beams to continue to propagate and keeping another wavelength component of the light beams from propagating by controlling a voltage applied thereto and/or a polarization of the light beams, the LCOS phase array being provided with a first liquid crystal (LC) domain, a second liquid crystal (LC) domain, and a reflection component, the reflection component being configured to reflect a light beam input through the first LC domain back to the first LC domain and reflect a light beam input through the second LC domain back to the second LC domain; and a reflective element that is arranged to reflect the light beams output from the LCOS phase array back to the LCOS phase array.

An optical signal processing device with a transponder aggregator function by which theoretical loss is not increased even if the number of necessary transponders is increased. Optical signals inputted from input ports are inputted to a PLC. The PLC has SBTs. The input ports are connected to the input-end SBT, and a plane wave is outputted from an output end of the PLC to the space side at an angle different for each input port. Optical signals outputted by the PLC are changed in their optical paths on the x-z plane by a cylindrical lens (Lsp) designed to refract optical signals in the x-axis direction, and are reflected by an LCOS at different regions corresponding to the positions of the input port. The reflected optical signals are incident on the output-end SBTs on the PLC, and are outputted to output ports via demultiplex parts.

In certain embodiments, a system includes an optical switch matrix, an optical lens coupled to the switch matrix, and a wireless transmitter coupled to the lens. The switch matrix is configured to switch first optical signals from input ports to output ports of the switch matrix, and output second optical signals that are based at least partially on the first optical signals. The lens is configured to transform wave formats of the second optical signals based on the output ports over which the second optical signals are received. The transmitter includes an antenna array and circuitry coupled to the array. The circuitry is configured to receive the second optical signals from the lens, convert the second optical signals into beamformed wireless signals in accordance with the transformed formats, and transmit the beamformed wireless signals, which signals have spatial characteristics in accordance with the transformed formats, over the array.

The disclosure provides for a system that includes a plurality of stations equipped for free-space optical communications (FSOC) in a network and a central control system. At least one station in the plurality of stations includes a wavelength selectable switch, an OEO module, and one or more first processors. The one or more first processors are configured to control the wavelength selectable switch, process an electrical signal that is extracted using the OEO module, and communicate with the central control system. The central control system includes one or more second processors that are configured to receive data regarding FSOC communication conditions at the plurality of stations, determine a path between stations through the network based on the received data, and transmit instructions to the plurality of stations.

Embodiments of a computing device and optical data switching circuitry are generally described herein. A processing element of the optical data switching circuitry may generate a plurality of optical data signals, and may send the optical data signals to an optical switch of the optical data switching circuitry. The optical switch may transmit the optical signals to a fiber optic router for relay to different destinations. The optical switch may switch between transmission directions for transmission of the optical signals to different receiving ports of the fiber optic router. The receiving ports of the fiber optic router may be mapped to the different destinations, in some cases.