A modular routing node includes a single input port and a plurality of output ports. The modular routing node is arranged to produce a plurality of different deflections and uses small adjustments to compensate for wavelength differences and alignment tolerances in an optical system. An optical device is arranged to receive a multiplex of many optical signals at different wavelengths, to separate the optical signals into at least two groups, and to process at least one of the groups adaptively.

A modular routing node includes a single input port and a plurality of output ports. The modular routing node is arranged to produce a plurality of different deflections and uses small adjustments to compensate for wavelength differences and alignment tolerances in an optical system. An optical device is arranged to receive a multiplex of many optical signals at different wavelengths, to separate the optical signals into at least two groups, and to process at least one of the groups adaptively.

A modular routing node includes a single input port and a plurality of output ports. The modular routing node is arranged to produce a plurality of different deflections and uses small adjustments to compensate for wavelength differences and alignment tolerances in an optical system. An optical device is arranged to receive a multiplex of many optical signals at different wavelengths, to separate the optical signals into at least two groups, and to process at least one of the groups adaptively.

A wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) reconfigurable optical switch, the switch has at least one optical input port to receive a WDM input optical signal comprising a plurality of wavelength channels; a plurality of optical output ports; a reconfigurable holographic array on an optical path between the at least one optical input port and the plurality of optical output ports; and at least one diffractive element on an optical path between at least one optical input port and the reconfigurable holographic array, to demultiplex the WDM input optical signal into a plurality of demultiplexed optical input beam channels, and to disperse the demultiplexed optical input beam channels spatially along a first axis on said the reconfigurable holographic array; and the switch further comprises one or more beam profiling optical elements to modify transverse beam profiles of the demultiplexed optical input beam channels.

A wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) reconfigurable optical switch. The switch has a set of arrays of optical beam connections, each comprising an array of optical outputs and having an optical input to receive a WDM input optical signal; a first diffractive element to demultiplexed the WDM input optical signal into a plurality of demultiplexed optical input beams, and to disperse said demultiplexed optical input beams spatially along a first axis; first relay optics between the set of arrays of optical beam connections and the first diffractive element; and a reconfigurable holographic array comprising a 2D array of reconfigurable sub-holograms defining sub-hologram rows and columns. The arrays of said set of arrays and the sub-hologram rows and columns are arranged and aligned in particular ways so that wavelength channels of the WDM input signal for each array can be steered within the device towards a selected optical output

As photonics evolves closer and closer to the electronic processing elements in order to meet the demands of speed, latency of evolving data communications networks and data centers the inventors, rather than seeking direct monolithically integrated CMOS based processing photonic and electronic elements, have established a different route. Namely replace the computer hubs/electrical bridges interconnecting the multiple core logic chipset elements with a photonic bridge. In this manner high risk chip-to-chip photonic point-to-point links are replaced with photonic SOCs that leverage photonics bandwidth density attribute rather than its bandwidth distance attributes. An SOI based Electronic Embedded Photonic Switching Fabric is presented supporting, for example, NMGb/s interconnections exploiting N channels of MGb/s wherein each channel of exploits S WDM channels of TGb/s. Embodiments of the invention also support high density optical interconnection via vertical grating couplers and multicore fibers.

An optical switch (10) comprising: inputs (12) to receive input optical signals at respective wavelengths and having planar wavefronts; conversion apparatus (14) to convert each input optical signal into a respective optical signal having a respective helical wavefront, each helical wavefront having a different orbital angular momentum, OAM; optical multiplexing apparatus (16) to receive each helical wavefront optical signal from the conversion apparatus and to multiplex the helical wavefront optical signals into an OAM multiplexed optical signal; and optical demultiplexing apparatus (18) comprising a plurality of outputs (20), the optical demultiplexing apparatus arranged to: receive the OAM multiplexed optical signal; demultiplex the OAM multiplexed optical signal into a plurality of wavelength multiplexed optical signals each having a different OAM; reconvert each wavelength multiplexed optical signal from its helical wavefront into a respective planar wavefront; and deliver each planar wavefront wavelength multiplexed optical signal to a respective one of the outputs according to the respective OAM it had before reconversion.

Advanced hologram techniques pre-calculate holograms to be displayed on an LCoS switch panel of a wavelength selective switch (WSS) module. The holograms are generated offline and are then stored on the WSS module for later retrieval. Each of the holograms is associated with a defined parameter, such as an attenuation level, and each of the holograms is configured to create a reconfigurable phase grating profile or pattern of the pixels of the LCoS switch panel. Each phase pattern selectively directs desired diffraction orders of optical channels from the LCoS switch panel for output to selected ports and selectively directs undesired diffraction orders away from the ports and at a desired attenuation level. During operation, the WSS module can retrieve the stored holograms. Interpolation can determine intermediate holograms between parameter values, and a ramp function can be added to the pattern to account for steering adjustments.

The present invention discloses a wavelength selective switch and a method for controlling a spatial phase modulator in a wavelength selective switch. The wavelength selective switch includes: a first demultiplexing/multiplexing component, configured to split, an input multi-wavelength optical signal into multiple single-wavelength optical signals; a spatial phase modulator, configured to change a transmission direction of each single-wavelength optical signal included in the multiple single-wavelength optical signals, where the spatial phase modulator is further configured to split a first single-wavelength optical signal in the multiple single-wavelength optical signals into a first light beam and a second light beam, where the first light beam is incident on an output port, and the second light beam is incident on a monitoring port; a photoelectric detector, configured to receive the second light beam; and a performance monitoring component, configured to perform performance monitoring on the received second light beam.

A modular routing node includes a single input port and a plurality of output ports. The modular routing node is arranged to produce a plurality of different deflections and uses small adjustments to compensate for wavelength differences and alignment tolerances in an optical system. An optical device is arranged to receive a multiplex of many optical signals at different wavelengths, to separate the optical signals into at least two groups, and to process at least one of the groups adaptively.