One example system comprises a substrate and a waveguide disposed on the substrate to define an optical path on the substrate. The waveguide is configured to guide, inside the waveguide and along the optical path, a light signal toward an edge of the waveguide. The edge defines an optical interface between the waveguide and a fluidic optical medium adjacent to the edge of the waveguide. The system also includes an optical fluid and a fluid actuator configured to adjust a physical state of the optical fluid based on a control signal. The adjustment of the physical state of the optical fluid causes an adjustment of the fluidic optical medium adjacent to the edge.

An optical switch is proposed, for routing an optical transmission signal according to an optical control signal, including one or more optical control ports; three or more optical transmission ports; a light director; and a thermally driven light mill; where the light mill and the light director are arranged with respect to each other, to the one or more control ports and to the three or more transmission ports such that: illumination of a respective one of the one or more control ports by a control beam carrying the control signal drives the light mill to rotate towards a respective position in which the light director is arranged so as to direct a transmission beam carrying the transmission signal, entering the switch via a respective one of the transmission ports, to exit the switch via a respective other of the transmission ports.

A light path shifting device is provided with a glass plate which incident light enters, a first frame for holding the glass plate, a second frame for supporting the first frame in the state of being swingable around a first oscillation axis, a base member for supporting the second frame in the state of being swingable around a second oscillation axis crossing the first oscillation axis, a first actuator for oscillating the first frame, and a second actuator for oscillating the second frame, and is capable of shifting the light path of the incident light in a first direction and a second direction crossing the first direction by oscillating the first frame and the second frame to thereby change an incident angle of the incident light to the glass plate.

An apparatus includes a plurality of connector track elements, each extending substantially perpendicularly from a coupling plane, wherein a particular connector track element of the plurality of connector track elements includes a distribution of at least two magnets adjacent unattached end thereof, a polarity of the magnets on the particular connector track element being selected to provide magnetic repulsion as to at least one adjacent connector track element.

An optical switch is proposed, for routing an optical transmission signal according to an optical control signal, including one or more optical control ports; three or more optical transmission ports; a light director; and a thermally driven light mill; where the light mill and the light director are arranged with respect to each other, to the one or more control ports and to the three or more transmission ports such that: illumination of a respective one of the one or more control ports by a control beam carrying the control signal drives the light mill to rotate towards a respective position in which the light director is arranged so as to direct a transmission beam carrying the transmission signal, entering the switch via a respective one of the transmission ports, to exit the switch via a respective other of the transmission ports.

In some examples, a mechanical transfer ferrule based optical switch may include an optical fiber tube unit connectable to an end of an optical fiber. The optical fiber tube unit may include a lens to transmit light through the optical fiber. An optical fiber tube unit positioning assembly may include an optical fiber tube unit support detachably connectable to the optical fiber tube unit, and an optical fiber tube unit guide to operatively position the optical fiber tube unit support relative to a multi-fiber connector. The optical fiber tube unit guide may align the optical fiber tube unit and the lens to a specified lens of the multi-fiber connector, and connect the optical fiber to a specified optical fiber channel.

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.

One example system comprises a substrate and a waveguide disposed on the substrate to define an optical path on the substrate. The waveguide is configured to guide, inside the waveguide and along the optical path, a light signal toward an edge of the waveguide. The edge defines an optical interface between the waveguide and a fluidic optical medium adjacent to the edge of the waveguide. The system also includes an optical fluid and a fluid actuator configured to adjust a physical state of the optical fluid based on a control signal. The adjustment of the physical state of the optical fluid causes an adjustment of the fluidic optical medium adjacent to the edge.

In some examples, a mechanical transfer ferrule based optical switch may include an optical fiber tube unit connectable to an end of an optical fiber. The optical fiber tube unit may include a lens to transmit light through the optical fiber. An optical fiber tube unit positioning assembly may include an optical fiber tube unit support detachably connectable to the optical fiber tube unit, and an optical fiber tube unit guide to operatively position the optical fiber tube unit support relative to a multi-fiber connector. The optical fiber tube unit guide may align the optical fiber tube unit and the lens to a specified lens of the multi-fiber connector, and connect the optical fiber to a specified optical fiber channel.

An apparatus includes a plurality of connector track elements, each extending substantially perpendicularly from a coupling plane, wherein a particular connector track element of the plurality of connector track elements includes a distribution of at least two magnets adjacent unattached end thereof, a polarity of the magnets on the particular connector track element being selected to provide magnetic repulsion as to at least one adjacent connector track element.