Multiwavelength performance of an apodized acousto-optic switch

Author

Smith, David A. ; d´Alessandro, A. ; Baran, Jane E. ; Fritz, Daniel J. ; Jackel, Janet L. ; Chakravarthy, Rohini S.

Author_Institution

Dept. of Electr. Eng. & Appl. Phys., Case Western Reserve Univ., Cleveland, OH, USA

Volume

14

Issue

9

fYear

1996

fDate

9/1/1996 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

2044

Lastpage

2051

Abstract

Use of the acousto-optic switch as a wavelength-routing element in WDM networks is described. The need for deep isolation between wavelength channels has resulted in the search for efficient sidelobe suppression techniques such as tapering of the acousto-optic profile by imbedding an optical waveguide in one arm of an acoustic directional coupler. The theory of sidelobe-suppression in the optical transmission function of a SAW-coupler apodized acousto-optic filter is presented. A low-sidelobe SAW-coupler-apodized AO switch was fabricated and used in a 1.5 micron multi-wavelength WDM switching demonstration employing four 4 nm-spaced optical channels. Crosstalk was below -19 dB for single wavelength selection and below -15 dB for arbitrary routing patterns, a dramatic improvement over unapodized AO switches

Keywords

acoustic imaging; acousto-optical filters; acousto-optical switches; directional couplers; optical communication equipment; optical crosstalk; optical directional couplers; optical fibre networks; optical images; surface acoustic wave couplers; telecommunication network routing; wavelength division multiplexing; 1.5 micron; SAW-coupler apodized acousto-optic filter; WDM networks; acoustic directional coupler; acousto-optic profile; apodized acousto-optic switch; arbitrary routing patterns; deep isolation; efficient sidelobe suppression techniques; low-sidelobe SAW-coupler-apodized AO switch fabrication; multi-wavelength WDM switching demonstration; multiwavelength performance; nm-spaced optical channels; optical crosstalk; optical transmission function; optical waveguide; sidelobe-suppression; unapodized AO switches; wavelength channels; wavelength-routing element; Acoustic waveguides; Acoustic waves; Directional couplers; Filtering theory; Optical crosstalk; Optical filters; Optical switches; Optical waveguide theory; Optical waveguides; WDM networks;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Lightwave Technology, Journal of

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0733-8724

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/50.536972

Filename

536972