Symmetric nonblocking integrated acoustooptic space-division switch array modules on LiNbO3

The realization of compact integrated optic 4×4 and 8×8 switch modules on LiNbO₃ using the proposed symmetric acoustooptic (AO) space-division switch architecture is reported. The working principle, the design, the fabrication and the experimental results of these AO space-switch modules at the optical wavelength of 0.6328 μm are presented. The integrated AO space switch modules consist of a new hybrid beam-expanding/collimating lens, a large-aperture focusing lens, and a pair of multielement tilted surface acoustic wave transducer arrays in a titanium-indiffused channel-planar-channel composite waveguide. These switch modules can be easily reconfigured to perform strictly nonblocking point-to-point switching, multicast switching, and multipoint-to-point switching. Their applications to optical computing functions such as matrix-vector and matrix-matrix multiplications are also presented