Monolithic semiconductor active waveguide optical switch

Chet L. Balestra; Richard J. Blackwell; Bartley C. Johnson; L. G. Perrymore

doi:10.1117/12.156570

15 September 1993 Monolithic semiconductor active waveguide optical switch

Chet L. Balestra, Richard J. Blackwell, Bartley C. Johnson, L. G. Perrymore

Proceedings Volume 1953, Photonics for Space Environments; (1993) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.156570
Event: Optical Engineering and Photonics in Aerospace Sensing, 1993, Orlando, FL, United States

Abstract

We have utilized a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) as an optical gain/absorption switch and have demonstrated an array of such switches in the form of a monolithic 4 X 4 optical crossbar switch. This device is completely nonblocking and can be operated in either a point-to-point or broadcast mode, simultaneously linking any combination of four input/output ports on one side with any combination of ports on the other. It is housed in a standard hybrid flatpack, with external control leads and eight connectorized optical fibers. The device consists of ridge waveguides, etched-facet turning mirrors, and etched T-branches laid out into an all- optical-path network. It is fabricated from a single GaAs quantum well/AlGaAs GRINSCH epitaxial structure on an N+ GaAs substrate. Because the paths are optical, they transmit signals in either direction -- i.e., the device can operate in a duplex (bidirectional) mode. We have demonstrated switching functionality, simultaneous routing of two digital FM video signals, and routing of pseudo-random NRZ data.

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Chet L. Balestra, Richard J. Blackwell, Bartley C. Johnson, and L. G. Perrymore "Monolithic semiconductor active waveguide optical switch", Proc. SPIE 1953, Photonics for Space Environments, (15 September 1993); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.156570

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