JPH0277022A - Optical switchboard - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To increase the processing speed by using a light-light control element array formed by arraying light-light control elements capable of switching optical paths of an input light signal by irradiation with a light pulse trigger. CONSTITUTION:A time-series light signal is inputted to the light-light control elements 3a - 3d which constitute the light-light control element array 4. Here, their mutual spatial intervals are set previously so that light pulses of respective channels reach the light-light control elements 3a - 3d at the same time. Then when the light pulses corresponding to the four channels are arranged in order from the ends of four light-light control elements 3a - 3d, the light-light control elements 3a - 3d are irradiated with light pulse triggers in parallel through a fast optical modulator 5 and a branch waveguide 6. The light pulses of the respective channels are separated spatially and outputted from output-side optical waveguides 2a - 2d corresponding to the respective channels in parallel. Consequently, the processing speed can be increased.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Summary] The purpose of this invention is to realize a dramatic improvement in processing speed regarding an optical switching device configured using an all-optical light-light control element. a light-to-light control element array comprising a plurality of arrays of light-to-light control elements capable of switching the optical path of an input optical signal, and into which a time-series optical signal is input as the input light signal; A light pulse trigger is applied to each of the light-to-light control elements in parallel in synchronization with the arrival of each light pulse to the light-to-light control element, whereby each light pulse of the time-series light signal is spatially a light pulse trigger irradiation means for separating the optical pulses from each other; and a light-light control element is arranged at each intersection of a plurality of optical waveguides configured in a 71-irc shape, and a light-light control element is selectively applied to each of the light-light control elements. an optical path recombining means for recombining the optical paths of the spatially separated optical pulses by irradiating them with light; and an optical pulse merging means for merging the recombined optical pulses of the optical paths and outputting them as time-series optical signals. The system is configured to have the following.

[Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to an optical exchanger constructed using all-optical light-light control elements.

[Conventional technology]

As a conventional optical switch, a time-division optical switch is known, which uses a bistable semiconductor laser and has electro-optic optical switches arranged before and after the bistable semiconductor laser.

Further, conventional optical multiplexers and optical demultiplexers convert optical signals into electrical signals, recombine the signals using electronic circuits, and then convert the signals into optical signals.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

In the conventional optical exchanger described above, the response of the bistable semiconductor laser is slow at about IGHz, and furthermore, electro-optic optical switches are used in the front and rear stages, so a dramatic increase in speed cannot be expected.

Furthermore, in the conventional optical multiplexer and optical demultiplexer described above, the processing time is limited by the speed of the electronic circuit, so it is still not possible to increase the processing speed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to realize a dramatic improvement in processing speed.

[Means to solve the problem]

1) A light-light control element array is used, which is formed by arranging a plurality of light-light control elements that can switch the optical path of an input optical signal by irradiation with a light pulse trigger. A time-series optical signal is input as the input optical signal. Further, a light pulse trigger irradiation means for irradiating a light pulse trigger to each light-light control element is provided. By this optical pulse trigger irradiation means, when each optical pulse of the above-mentioned time-series optical signal reaches the optical-light control element, the optical pulse trigger is irradiated to each of the optical-light control elements in parallel to each of the above-mentioned optical pulses. Spatial separation of light pulses. The above configuration realizes an optical demultiplexer.

2) Using the same light-light control element array as in 1) above,
CW light or optical pulses at regular intervals are input from the input optical waveguide. Then, the light pulse trigger irradiation means irradiates each of the light-light control elements with a light pulse trigger to output a plurality of light pulses, respectively.

Further, a time-series optical signal is obtained by an optical pulse merging means for merging the plurality of optical pulses. With the above configuration,
An optical multiplexer is realized.

3) Using the same light-light control element array as in l) above,
An input optical signal is input in parallel to each of the light-to-light control elements. Then, the optical pulse trigger irradiation means irradiates each of the light-to-light control elements with an optical pulse trigger to combine the optical pulses of the plurality of parallel input optical signals to obtain a time-series optical signal. The above configuration realizes an optical multiplexer.

4) In the configuration of 1) above, optical pulses spatially separated and outputted from the light-light control element array are photoelectrically converted in parallel by the light receiving element array. By doing so, a high-speed photodetector is realized.

5) A configuration similar to the optical demultiplexer in 1) above is provided on the input side. Furthermore, by providing an optical path recombination means in which a light-light control element is arranged at each light point of a plurality of optical waveguides configured in a matrix, and by selectively irradiating each light-light control element with light. , the optical paths of the spatially separated optical pulses are recombined on the input side (optical demultiplexer). Then, the optical pulses whose optical paths have been recombined are merged by an optical pulse merging means and outputted as a time-series optical signal. The above configuration realizes an optical switch.

6) A configuration similar to the optical demultiplexer in 1) above is provided at the input end. Furthermore, an optical bistable element is provided on the input side for temporarily storing spatially separated optical pulses by irradiation with bias light.

Furthermore, a configuration similar to the optical multiplexer in 3) above is provided on the output side, into which the optical pulses stored in the optical bistable element are input in parallel, and each light on the output side (optical multiplexer) - By irradiating the light control element with light pulses 1-RIGA whose time intervals are shifted from each other,
The order of the parallel optical pulses is changed and outputted in time series. With the above configuration, a full-time PA machine is realized.

7) A configuration similar to the optical demultiplexer in 1) above is provided on the input side. Further, on this input side, there is a first optical bistable element that temporarily stores spatially separated optical pulses by irradiation with bias light, and the optical pulses stored here are inputted in parallel, and this parallel A second optical bistable element is provided which outputs optical pulses by irradiation of the light source.

Then, the output trigger irradiation means irradiates the second optical bistable element with an output trigger at different time intervals for each optical pulse input to the second optical bistable element, thereby adjusting the order of the parallel optical pulses. Replace and output sequentially. The output optical pulses are combined by an optical pulse combining means and output as a time-series optical signal. The above configuration realizes an optical switch.

[For production]

In the optical demultiplexer of the present invention, the time series,
When the J11 signal is input, the light pulses in the time-series optical signal are spatially separated and outputted by the optical path switching action of each light-light control element. In a high-speed photodetector having a configuration in which a light-receiving element array is provided on the output side, the time-series optical signal input thereto is once demultiplexed and then converted into an electrical signal.

Further, in the optical multiplexer of the present invention, a plurality of optical pulses are combined and output as a time-series optical signal by the optical path switching action of each light-light control element and the combining action of the optical pulse combining means.

Furthermore, in the optical switching device of the present invention, the above-mentioned optical demultiplexer or optical multiplexer is used on the input/output side, and by inserting an optical path recombination means or an optical bistable element between them, the input time-series optical signal is After that, the order of the pulses is changed and output as a new time-series optical signal.

In each of the optical demultiplexer, optical multiplexer, high-speed photodetector, and optical switch of the present invention described above, the input optical signal is processed entirely optically, so the processing speed is dramatically increased compared to the conventional method. improves.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of an optical demultiplexer of the present invention. An example of 4 channels is shown here.

In the figure, one optical waveguide 1 on the input side is branched into multiple (four in the figure) optical waveguides 2a to 2d on the output side, and each branch has a light-light control element. 3
a to 3d are arranged, and the light-light control element array 4 is constituted by these elements.

The light-light control elements 3a to 3d are, for example, shown in FIG.
), the nonlinear optical material 11 is inserted into each branch of the optical waveguide 1 and the optical waveguides 2a to 2d (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 62-245228), or as shown in FIG. 2 tb+. Optical waveguides 1 and 2a-2 as shown
d, at least the branch portion and its vicinity are formed of the nonlinear optical material 12, and the nonlinear optical material 12 is covered with a light shielding portion 14 (shaded portion) except for a partial region (window portion 13). In any of these cases, by irradiating a light pulse trigger from the outside, in FIG. 2(a), the refractive index of the nonlinear optical material 11 (the mountain in FIG. 2) is The refractive index of the region changes, so that the optical path of the light that has been transmitted through the optical waveguide 1 on the input side can be switched to the optical waveguides 2a to 2d on the output side by total reflection, respectively.

In FIG. 1, as a means for irradiating each of the light-light control elements 33 to 3d with a light pulse trigger,
A high-speed optical modulator 5 and a branch waveguide 6 are provided. The high-speed optical modulator 5 includes, for example, a semiconductor laser array 21, an optical bistable element 22, and a delay/synthesizer 23, as shown in FIG. After outputting the optical pulses in n columns and sharpening the waveform of these optical pulses with an optical bistable element 22, these are sequentially delayed and merged in a delay/synthesizer 23 to output a time-series optical signal. (See Japanese Patent Application No. 61-275386). Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 3(b), the mode-locked semiconductor laser array 24 and the electro-optic modulator array 25 are connected to the semiconductor laser array 21 and the optical bistable element 2.
It can also be used in place of 2, here modero
After a plurality of short pulses periodically and parallelly generated from the semiconductor laser array 24 are independently modulated by the electro-optic modulator array 25, the delay/synthesizer 2 is used in the same manner as above.
3, it is converted into a time-series optical signal. The optical signal output from the high-speed optical modulator 5 having such a configuration is branched in parallel by the branching waveguide 6, and is irradiated as an optical pulse trigger to each of the optical-optical control elements 3a to 3d. ing.

In the optical demultiplexer of this embodiment having the above configuration, the time-series optical signal passes through the optical waveguide 1 on the input side,
Input to control elements 3a to 3d. Therefore, the mutual spatial spacing of the light-light control elements 3a to 3d is determined in advance so that the light pulses of each channel constituting the time-series optical signal reach each of the light-light control elements 3a to 3d at the same time. Set it. Then, at the same time that the optical pulses of each channel in the time-series optical signal reach the corresponding optical-light control elements 3a to 3d, that is, each optical pulse corresponding to the four channels reaches the four optical-optical control elements 3a to 3d. When the elements 3a to 3d are lined up in order from the end, a light pulse trigger is irradiated in parallel to each of the light-light control elements 3a to 3d by the high-speed optical variable a''!:f5 and the branching waveguide 6. , the optical pulses of each channel are spatially separated and output in parallel from output side optical waveguides 2a to 2d corresponding to the respective channels.

According to this embodiment, since the input optical signal is processed entirely optically, it is possible to realize a dramatic improvement in the processing speed.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the optical demultiplexer of the present invention.

In the figure, a light source 31 and branch waveguides 32 extending from the light source 31 to each of the light-light control elements 3a to 3d are arranged on the same plane as the light-light control element array 4 shown in FIG. In other words, the entire structure is monolithic.

Here, the light source 31 and the branch waveguide 1i! 832, like the high-speed optical modulator 5 and the branching waveguide 6 shown in FIG. 1, is a means for irradiating each light to the light control cables 3a to 3d with an optical pulse trigger.

As the light source 31, a normal semiconductor laser, a mode-locked semiconductor laser, or the like can be used. Even in such a configuration, speeding up is possible as in the embodiment described above.

In addition, in the optical demultiplexer shown in FIG. 1 or FIG.
It is also possible to photoelectrically convert each optical pulse spatially separated from d by the photodetector array 33 in parallel. By doing so, a high-speed photodetector is realized.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the optical multiplexer of the present invention.

In the figure, the optical waveguides 2a to 2d are merged into optical waveguides 41 on each output side of a light-light control element array 4 similar to that shown in FIG. Further, high-speed optical modulators 423 to 4 similar to those shown in FIG.
A high-speed photometer array 43 formed by arranging a plurality of 2d is provided.

In the optical multiplexer of this embodiment, the optical waveguide 1 on the input side
Continuous light (CW light) is transmitted therethrough and input to the light-light control elements 3a to 3d. Therefore, depending on the "1" and "0" signals of each of the four channels, each of the high-speed optical modulators 428 to 42d turns on the optical pulse trigger.
Go off. When it is on, the corresponding light-light control elements 3a to 3d operate to switch the optical path of the input light and send it to the output side optical waveguides 2a to 2d corresponding to each channel. The optical pulses sent into the optical waveguides 2a to 2d in this manner are combined in the optical waveguide 41 and converted into a time-series optical signal. Here, the optical pulses of each channel are sequentially arranged at equal intervals and repeatedly passed through the optical waveguide 41.
The high-speed optical modulators 42a to 42
It is desirable to set the emission timing of the optical pulse trigger from d. Note that the input optical signal may be an optical pulse with a constant period instead of continuous light.

Also in this embodiment, since the input optical signal is processed entirely optically, it is possible to significantly increase the speed.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the optical multiplexer of the present invention.

In this figure, a light-light control element array 4 similar to that shown in FIG. 1 is used, and a high-speed optical modulator array 43 similar to that shown in FIG. It is provided.

In this embodiment, a plurality of optical waveguides 2a to 2d are used as the input side, and one optical waveguide 1 is used as the output side. That is, the optical signals are made to enter the optical waveguides 2a to 2d in parallel,
A time-series optical signal is obtained from the optical waveguide 1 by outputting optical pulse triggers in parallel from the high-speed optical modulators 42a-42d at the time when each optical pulse reaches the optical-optical control elements 3a-3d. At this time, if the high-speed optical modulators 42a to 42d are operated independently, each light-light control element 3a to 3
At d, an AND gate effect is obtained between each optical pulse trigger and the input optical pulse. In other words, the output optical signal is rlJ only when both the input optical signal and the optical pulse trigger are on, and when at least one is off, the output optical signal is rO
It becomes J.

Note that modulation (on/off) is performed only by the high-speed optical modulators 42a to 42d.
OFF), continuous light (CW light) or a constant period optical pulse can be used as the input optical signal.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the first embodiment of the optical exchanger of the present invention.

In the figure, the input side has a configuration similar to that of the optical demultiplexer in FIG. 1. That is, one optical waveguide 5
One to a plurality of (four in the figure) optical waveguides 52a to 52
d is branched, and light-light control elements 53a to 53d similar to those shown in FIG.

As a means for irradiating a light pulse trigger to each of the light-light control elements 53a to 53d, a high-speed light modulator 55 similar to that shown in FIG. 3 and its output light are branched in parallel. A branch waveguide 56 is provided to guide the light to each light-light control element 53a to 53d.

Further, the plurality of optical waveguides 52a to 52d constitute an optical waveguide in one direction of the matrix optical waveguide 57 provided at the subsequent stage, and an optical waveguide 58a in the other direction intersects with this optical waveguide.
58d are merged into one optical waveguide 59 on the output side. At each intersection of the matrix optical waveguide 57, a light-light control element 60 similar to the light-light control elements 53a to 53d described above is provided. And this light-
As a means for selectively irradiating each of the light control elements 60 with a light pulse trigger, a plurality of electro-optic light switch arrays 61a to 61d are further arranged in an array. Each of the electro-optical optical switch arrays 61a to 61d includes a light source 62 such as a normal semiconductor laser or a mode-locked semiconductor laser, and a plurality of optical waveguides 63a for transmitting the output light.
-63d, and a plurality of electro-optical switches 648-64d.

The output ends of the optical waveguides 63a to 63d are located in one-to-one correspondence with each of the light-light control elements 60 below.

In the optical exchanger of this embodiment having the above configuration, a time-series optical signal passes through the optical waveguide 51 and passes through the light-light control elements 5'3a to 5.
Manpower 3D. Then, the optical pulses of each channel constituting the time-series optical signal are simultaneously transmitted to the optical-optical control elements 53a to 53a.
53d, the light-light control element 53a
~53d mutual spatial spacing is set in advance. Then, at the same time that the optical pulses of each channel in the time-series optical signal reach the corresponding light-light control elements 53a to 53d, that is, each light pulse corresponding to the four channels reaches the four light-light control elements 53a to 53d. When the elements 53a to 53d are lined up in order from the end, the high speed optical modulator 55 and the branch waveguide 56 irradiate each of the light-light control elements 53a to 53d with an optical pulse trigger in parallel. Thereby, the optical pulses of each channel are spatially separated and sent in parallel to the matrix optical waveguide 57 through the optical waveguides 52a to 52d corresponding to the respective channels.

Each optical pulse sent to the matrix optical waveguide 57 is transmitted to a light-light control element 60 provided at each intersection of 7 matrices.
By selectively irradiating a light pulse trigger with the electro-optic light switch arrays 611 to 61d, the light path is changed by the light-light control element 60 located at the light irradiation location.

Here, each optical pulse whose optical path has been changed is passed through one optical waveguide 59.
and is converted into a time-series optical signal. For example, the seventh
When the optical pulse trigger is irradiated to the position indicated by the dotted circle in the figure,
An optical path change occurs at that position, and the order of each optical pulse is rearranged. In this example, the first, second,
The optical pulses of the third and fourth channels appear in the third, eleventh, fourth, and second channels on the output side, respectively.

According to this embodiment, the all-optical high-speed optical demultiplexer shown in FIG.
It is possible to realize an extremely high-speed optical switch having a bandwidth of G Ilz or higher.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the optical exchanger of the present invention.

In the same figure, the same as those shown in FIG.
is provided on the input side.

Furthermore, a plurality of optical waveguides 5 extend in parallel from this input side.
An optical bistable element 70 is placed in the middle of 2a to 52d. This optical bistable element 70 includes two translucent mirrors 70a, as shown in FIG. 9 (Jl).

A nonlinear optical material 70c is inserted into a Fapley-Bello resonator made up of 70b. Then, a bias light (l
If the input optical signal (I s;
L'rM can be output as an output optical signal (Iou). Examples of means for superimposing bias light on the optical bistable element 70 include a high-speed optical modulator 76, a branching waveguide 77, and a half mirror as shown in FIG.
78 combinations, or a combination of a high-speed optical modulator or a mode-locked semiconductor laser array and a half mirror, etc. can be used.

At the downstream stage of the optical bistable element 70, a configuration similar to that of the optical multiplexer shown in FIG.
11 to 71 (light-light formed by arranging l; ti control element array and 2 high-speed optical modulator formed by arranging a plurality of high-speed optical modulators 73a to 73d for respectively irradiating these with optical pulse triggers) An array 74 is provided.

In the optical switch of this embodiment, as in the case of FIG.
A time-series optical signal as shown in FIG. A light pulse trigger as shown in (b) is irradiated.

As a result, the optical pulse of each y-Yanel is
The light beams are spatially divided as shown in FIG. 2 and are incident on the optical bistable element 70 in parallel via the optical waveguides 52a to 52d, respectively. At this time, when bias light as shown in FIG. 11(d) is superimposed on the input optical signal to the optical bistable element 70, the output optical signal of the optical bistable element 70 becomes as shown in FIG. 11 (el). It is turned on when the input optical signal is on, and it is turned off when the input optical signal is off, and these states are maintained until the bias light is turned off.Each output optical signal of the optical bistable element 70 is Light-light control element 718 on the output side, respectively
~71d in parallel. Here, a high-speed optical modulator 73
3 to 73d, the optical pulse triggers are applied in the order corresponding to the desired optical signal recombination, as shown in FIG. 11(f). As a result, the order of each optical pulse is rearranged, and a time-series optical signal as shown in FIG. 11(g) is sent to the optical waveguide 75 on the output side. In this example,
The optical pulses of the first, second, third and fourth channels on the input side are transmitted to the third, first, fourth and second channels on the output side, respectively.
channel. For simplicity, the time chart of FIG. 11 does not take into account the time delay associated with the propagation. The actual timing needs to be corrected based on the optical path length.

According to this embodiment, the all-optical high-speed optical demultiplexer shown in FIG. 1 is provided on the input side, and the all-optical high-speed optical multiplexer shown in FIG. 6 is provided on the output side, Furthermore, since an optical bistable element 70 operating all-optically is provided between them, the processing speed can be dramatically improved as in the previous embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the optical exchanger of the present invention.

In the figure, a plurality of waveguide-type optical bistable elements 80a to 80a are used instead of the optical bistable element 70 in the optical exchange shown in FIG.
80d is used, and this, input and output side light-light control element arrays 54 and 72, and bias light sources 81a to 81d are monolithically constructed. Furthermore, a high-speed optical modulator array 83 consisting of a plurality of high-speed optical modulators 82a to B2d similar to the output side is used as optical pulse trigger irradiation means at the input end.

In this embodiment as well, optical signals are recombined by the same operation as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, making it possible to significantly improve the processing speed.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of the optical exchanger of the present invention.

In the figure, the input side has a configuration similar to that of the optical demultiplexer shown in FIG. In other words, Figures 7 and 8
On the same plane as the light-light control element array 54 shown in the figure,
Light source 91 and each light-light control element 53a to 53d
A branch waveguide 92 extending up to 100 mm is provided, that is, the entire input side is monolithically constructed. Here, the light source 91 and the branching waveguide 92 are the same as the high-speed optical modulator 55 and the branching waveguide 56 shown in FIGS.
Second, it is a means for irradiating each light-light control element 53a to 53d with a light pulse trigger. As the light source 91,
A normal semiconductor laser, a modero-tsuk semiconductor laser, etc. can be used.

Further, at the subsequent stage, the same optical bistable element 70 as shown in FIG. 8 is provided. Furthermore, on the next output side, there is a light-light control element array 72 used in FIGS. 8 and 12.
Instead, another optical bistable element 93 and a merging waveguide 94 are provided. The optical bistable element 93 is different from the optical bistable element 70 in the preceding stage and performs a phototransistor operation. That is, as shown in FIG. 9 (C1), the state of the input optical signal changes to the output optical signal (l) only when the output trigger (br5) is superimposed on the input optical signal (I s; -) can be used as the means for folding the bias light into the optical bistable element 70 in the preceding stage as shown in FIG. As a means for superimposing the output 1-rega, for example, a high-speed optical modulator array 9 consisting of a plurality of high-speed optical modulators 952 to 95d as shown in FIG.
A combination of 6 and half mirror 97 can be used.

In this embodiment, each optical pulse of the inputted time-series optical signal is the same as the embodiment shown in FIG.
a to 53d, and enter the optical bistable element 70 in parallel via optical waveguides 52a to 52d, respectively. At this time, by superimposing bias light on the input optical signal to the optical bistable element 70, the state of the input optical signal is maintained as described in 4.1 until the bias light is turned off. Each output optical signal of the optical bistable element 70 is input in parallel to the optical bistable element 93 at the subsequent stage. Here, a trigger is added that outputs in an order corresponding to the desired optical signal recombination.

As a result, the order of each optical pulse is rearranged, and the pulses are then merged by the merging waveguide 94, thereby being output as a time-series optical signal. Here, the optical bistable element 93
For example, if we consider the same timing as the optical pulse trigger shown in Figure 11 ( ) as an output trigger applied to the will be recombined into the third, first, fourth, and second channels.

In this embodiment as well, since all-optical processing is possible, a dramatic improvement in processing speed is achieved.

Examples of the light-light control elements used in each of the embodiments so far are shown in FIGS. In Figure 2 (bl), the entire optical waveguide may be composed of a nonlinear optical material.Also, if a nonlinear optical material with reverse characteristics (characteristic in which the refractive index increases with light irradiation) is used, the window portion The patterns of the light shielding portion 13 and the light shielding portion 14 may be reversed.

In addition, nonlinear optical materials used in the light-light control devices and optical bistable devices described above include, for example, multiple quantum wells (MQW) of m-v group compounds, organic nonlinear optical materials, especially conjugated polymer materials, nonlinear There are glass polymers containing optical molecules or aggregates thereof, glass polymers doped with semiconductors, and the like. In particular, if a fast-responsive organic nonlinear optical material (e.g., one-dimensional conjugated polymer such as polydiacetylene, polymacetylene, polypyrrole, polythiophene, etc., a polymer doped with nonlinear optical molecules, etc.) is used for the light-light control element provided on the input side, , a response of, for example, 100 GHz or more can be obtained, thus making it possible to perform high-speed processing.

Furthermore, various configurations other than the one shown in FIG. 3 can be used as the above-mentioned high-speed optical modulator.

For example, one mode-locked semiconductor laser and a branch waveguide may be used instead of the mode-locked semiconductor laser array 24 in FIG. 2(b). In addition, the delay/synthesizer 2
As for 3, if the actual length and refractive index of multiple optical waveguides or optical fibers are in the sequential field, is the optical path ? Variations of C can be used.

In addition, in FIG. 7, two-dimensional light switches 61a to 61d are used as means for selectively irradiating light to the light-light control element 60 at each intersection of the 7-trix light waveguide 57. Surface-emitting lasers arranged in a row may also be used. Furthermore, as a means for irradiating light to each light-light control element provided on the input side or output side, a combination of a high-speed optical modulator and a branching waveguide as shown in FIG.
In addition to the high-speed optical modulator array shown in the figure,
It may also be a Koch semiconductor radar array or the like.

In each of the above-described embodiments, only the case of four channels is shown, but it goes without saying that the number of channels other than this may be 11.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, the input optical signal is processed entirely optically, so that the processing speed can be dramatically improved.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the optical demultiplexer of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view of an example of light-light control elements 3a to 3d, and FIG. fbl is a purchase diagram of an example of the high-speed optical modulator 5, FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the second embodiment of the optical demultiplexer of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a diagram of the first embodiment of the optical multiplexer of the present invention. 6 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the optical multiplexer of the present invention; FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the first embodiment of the optical exchanger of the present invention; FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the first embodiment of the optical exchanger of the present invention. A perspective view of the second embodiment of the optical exchanger, FIGS. 9(Jl) to (C) are diagrams showing the cross-sectional groove bottom of the optical bistable element and its operation, and FIG. 10 is a bias to the optical bistable element 70. An example of the lower stage of optical superimposition.] View 1 Figure 11 (al~) Figure 12 is a tie chart showing the operation of the optical exchange system in Figure 8. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of the optical exchange according to the present invention. FIG. 14 is a perspective view of an example of an output trigger superimposing means of an optical bistable element 93-. 39-3d... Light-light control element, 4... Light-light control element array, 5... High-speed optical modulator, 6... Branch waveguide, 31... Light source, 32... Branch waveguide, 33... Light receiving element array, 41... Optical waveguide, 42a to 42d... High speed optical modulator, 43... High speed optical modulator array, S3a to 53d... Light-light control Element, 54... light-
Optical control element array, 55... High-speed optical modulator, 56... Branching waveguide, 57... Matrix folded optical waveguide, 59... Optical waveguide, 60... Light-light control element, 6ta~ 61 (I... Electro-optical optical switch array, 70... Optical bistable element, 71a to 71d... Light-light control element, 72... Light-
Optical control element array, 731-73d... High-speed optical modulator, 74... High-speed optical modulator array, 80a-80d... Waveguide type optical bistable element, 91...
- Light source, 92... Branching waveguide, 93... Optical bistable element, 94... Merging waveguide. (G) - (b) Light - before light control +3a to 3d -I1 Fig. 2 (Q) Fig. 9 -I column of bias likelihood superimposition on light 1 and protection element 7o Fig. 10 - −＾ to 0
1 g
'.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1) A plurality of light-light control elements (3a to 3d) capable of switching the optical path of an input optical signal by irradiation with an optical pulse trigger are arranged, and the input optical signal is a time-series optical signal. a light-to-light control element array (4) having one input-side optical waveguide into which the time-series optical signals are input, and a plurality of output-side optical waveguides branched for each of the light-to-light control elements; A light pulse trigger is applied to each of the light-to-light control elements in parallel in synchronization with the pulse reaching the light-to-light control element, thereby spatially controlling each light pulse of the time-series light signal. Optical pulse trigger irradiation means (5) for separating and sending it to the output side optical waveguide.
, 6). 2) one input-side optical waveguide formed by arranging a plurality of light-light control elements (3a to 3d) capable of switching the optical path of an input optical signal by irradiation with an optical pulse trigger, and into which the input optical signal is input; and a light-light control element array (4) having a plurality of output-side optical waveguides branched for each light-light control element.
), an optical pulse trigger irradiation means (43) for irradiating each of the light-light control elements with an optical pulse trigger, thereby sending a plurality of optical pulses to each of the output side optical waveguides; An optical multiplexer comprising an optical pulse merging means (41) for merging pulses into a time-series optical signal. 3) A plurality of light-light control elements (3a to 3d) capable of switching the optical path of an input optical signal by irradiation with a light pulse trigger are arranged, and the plurality of input optical signals are directed to each of the light-light control elements. Multiple input side optical waveguides for parallel input,
and a light-light control element array (
4) A light pulse trigger is applied to each of the light-light control elements in parallel, thereby sending each light pulse of the plurality of parallel input light signals to the output optical waveguide to form a time-series signal. An optical multiplexer comprising an optical pulse trigger irradiation means (43). 4) One element comprising a plurality of arrayed light-light control elements (3a to 3d) capable of switching the optical path of an input optical signal by irradiation with an optical pulse trigger, and into which a time-series optical signal is input as the input optical signal. a light-to-light control element array (4) having an input-side optical waveguide and a plurality of output-side optical waveguides branched for each of the light-to-light control elements; A light pulse trigger is irradiated in parallel to each of the light-to-light control elements in synchronization with the light reaching the control element, thereby spatially separating each light pulse of the time-series light signal to the output side. Optical pulse trigger irradiation means (5
, 6) and a light receiving element array (33) that photoelectrically converts the spatially separated optical pulses in parallel. 5) Light capable of switching the optical path of an input optical signal by irradiation with an optical pulse trigger - A light formed by arranging a plurality of optical control elements (53a to 53d), and into which a time-series optical signal is input as the input optical signal. a light control element array (54); irradiating a light pulse trigger to each of the light-to-light control elements in parallel in synchronization with each light pulse of the time-series optical signal reaching the light-to-light control element; and optical pulse trigger irradiation means (55, 56) for spatially separating each optical pulse of the time-series optical signal, and a light-light control element at each intersection of the plurality of optical waveguides configured in a matrix. (60), and recombines the optical path of each of the spatially separated optical pulses by selectively irradiating each of the light-light control elements with light; An optical exchanger comprising an optical pulse merging means (59) for merging the optical pulses whose optical paths have been recombined and outputting them as a time-series optical signal. 6) A first element comprising a plurality of arrayed light-light control elements (53a to 53d) capable of switching the optical path of an input optical signal by irradiation with an optical pulse trigger, and into which a time-series optical signal is input as the input optical signal. a light-to-light control element array (54); and a light pulse to each of the light-to-light control elements in parallel in synchronization with each light pulse of the time-series optical signal reaching the light-to-light control element. first optical pulse trigger irradiation means (55, 56) that irradiates a trigger and thereby spatially separates each optical pulse of the time-series optical signal; and irradiates the spatially separated optical pulses with bias light. an optical bistable element (70) that temporarily stores data upon irradiation, and a plurality of light-light control elements (71a to 71d) arranged, and each of the plurality of light-light control elements is provided with the optical bistable element. The optical pulses stored in are input in parallel to the second light-light control element array (72), and the time intervals are shifted from each other to each light-light control element of the second light-light control element array. irradiate the optical pulse trigger,
A second light pulse trigger irradiation means (74) that thereby rearranges the order of the parallel light pulses and outputs them in time series.
An optical switching device characterized by comprising: 7) Light capable of switching the optical path of an input optical signal by irradiation with an optical pulse trigger - A light formed by arranging a plurality of optical control elements (53a to 53d), and into which a time-series optical signal is input as the input optical signal. a light control element array (54); irradiating a light pulse trigger to each of the light-to-light control elements in parallel in synchronization with each light pulse of the time-series optical signal reaching the light-to-light control element; and optical pulse trigger irradiation means (91, 92) for spatially separating each optical pulse of the time-series optical signal, and for temporarily storing the spatially separated optical pulses by irradiating bias light. A first optical bistable element (70) that receives the optical pulses stored in the first optical bistable element in parallel, and outputs the parallel optical pulses by irradiation with an output trigger, respectively. The optical bistable element (93) and the second optical bistable element are irradiated with the output trigger at different time intervals for each optical pulse inputted thereto, whereby the parallel optical pulses are output trigger irradiation means (96, 97) for reversing the order of and outputting sequentially, and optical pulse merging means (96, 97) for merging the optical pulses sequentially output from the second optical bistable element and outputting them as a time-series optical signal. 94).