Fiber Optic Components

OpticalCommunication (MU-Sem 7-E&TC) 5-28

This stucture can be tuned to generate another resonant

Input ight
wavelength by using following techniques.
(i) Change the cavity length,
that means distance
between two mirTOrs (|)OR
cavity (n).
Transmited resonant (ü) Change the refractive index of
waves will add in phase
time (t) is given by
The one way propagation delay
9
and
Reflection in T=
nl
so if we change n or 1, T will be changed
the cavity
wavelength.
filter willbe tuned for other

Fabry perot cavity 5.20 Switches

Fig. 5.19.1
For Reading Purp0se onl..)
Such wavelengths are called as resonant wavelengths enables the
Optical Switch (0S) is a switch, which
selectively from
of the cavity. signals in optical cables to get transferred
Thus only resonant wavelengths will come out of one circuit to another.
cavity and other wavelengths will be reflected.
5.20.1 Requirements of Optical Switch
The power transfer function of this filter is a part of
input power, which is transmitted by the cavity. switch.
LQ. 5.20.1 What are the characteristics of optical
It is given by,
M Ans. :
The various important characteristics of optical switch
T =
are as follows :

1. The extinction ratio of switch must be large. It is

Here A = Absorption loss at each miror, that means it basically the ratio of optical power when the switch is
indicates the amount of light absorbed by ON, to the optical power when the switch is OFF.
2. Insertion loss must be small. It is the loss taking place
miror
in optical network when optical signal is routed through
R = Reflectivity of mirrOr, that means amount of
the switch.
light reflected by mirror.
3. The cross talk should be ideally zero. When using a
n = Refractive index of cavity
switch, "i' input is connected to j' output then many
l = Length of cavity times the j output contains. Some signals from other
2 = Wavelength of incident light input channels. It is the cross talk in optical switch.
mirror
The propagation delay from left mirror to right 4. Optical switch should be polarization insensitive.
in the cavity is denoted by t and it is given by, 5. In many application, it is required that, the switch
where c = speed of light remain ON, in case of power failures. Such switches
are called as latching switches.
The number of resonant wavelengths, that can be
supported by this cavity is given by ratio, 6. There should be readout facility in the display of
switch. That means by reading a display, user wl
F = 1-R come to know, whether the switch is ON or OFF.

This ratio is called as finesse of the filter.

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 Fiber Optic Components
Optical Communication (MU-Sem
7-E&TC) 5-29
it is only, few
dimcnsions are small and
5.20.2 Types of Optical Switches The mirror
milimeters.
electromagnetic, clectrostatic or piezoclectric
UQ. 5.20.2 Explain the working Using deflected and switching
action
principle of optical method ; the mirrors are
switches. MU May 16, 5 Marks
is perfor1ned.
VAns.: 3. Liquld Crystal
Switches
action
The most common types of optical switches are as switches and switching
These are the solid state
follows : polarization effect.
isperformed using and the
1. Mechanical switches voltage is applicd to a liquid crystal cell rotated.
A through the cell is
2. MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical-System) polarization of light passing
combined with a polarization
Switches This liquid crystal cell is switch.
structure acts as an optical
beam splitter and the
3. Liquid crystal switches opcrated as a digital
Basically, this type of switch is not states ON or
4. Electro-optic switches producing only two
switch ; that means
5 Thermo-optic switches OFF.
applied to liquid crystal
Semiconductor optical amplifier switches But by controlling the voltage
operated like analog
Let us discuss each type in detail. cell ; the switching action can be
1. Mechanical switches
switching.
switching action
That means, depending on the
In this case, the switching action is performed by using attenuation of signal passing through it
can be
a mechanical movement. controlled.
One of the mirors is moved in the optical path to So, this type of switch can be used as
variable optical
perform 'ON' action and it is moved out of optical path alternator.
to perform 'OFF action.
4. Electro-Optic Switches
The switching action can also be performed using actions
These switches provides very fast switching
couplers.
interaction and the switching time is around 1nsec.
The optical cable can be stretched in the
region, so the coupling ratio will be changed
and These switches are designed using any one of the
switching action can be performed. following configurations
(a) The directional coupler configuration
Advantages
In this case the coupling ratio is changed by
1. Low insertion loss changing the applied voltage and switching action
2. Low cross talk
is performed.
3. Low polarization dependant loss (b) The Mach-Zehnder configuration
4. Low cost
Here the switching action is performed by
Disadyantages changing the relative path length between two
1 Less reliability arms.

2 Number of ports are small around 8; so can be Compared to mechanical switches ; these switches
used only for small wavelength crossconnects. have following disadvantages :
2. Micro Electro Mechanical System (MEMS) (1) High insertion loss
Switches
(i) High polarization dependant loss
mirrors which are
It consists of miniature movable (ii) More expensive
fabricated using silicon substrates.
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 Fiber Optic Components
OpticalCommunication (MU-Sem 7-E&TC) 5-30

The wavelength conversion is done by using any one of

5. Thermo-Optic Switches
the following techniques.
These switches are basically 2 x 2 Mach-Zehnder Optoelectronic regenerator
1
Interferometer, fabricated on silica substrate.
2 Optical gating
The relative path difference between two arms of Mach-Zehnder
interferometer can be changed by changing the 3. Phase modulation by
interferometer
refractive index in one arm.
4. Four wave mixing in SLA
This produces the switching of signal from one output (Semiconductor Laser Amplifier.)
port to another.
Cormpared to other types of switches the
disadvantages of these switches are as follows
(i) The switching action is slow because of slow a 5.21.1 Optoelectronic Regenerator
thermooptic effect
This is basically a variable input, fixed outout
(ü) Less efficiency converter.
having
6. Semiconductor Optical Amplifier Switches Input is an optically intensity modulated signal
Semiconductor Optical Amplifiers (SOA) can be used a wavelength in
into
as switches by varying the bias voltage. Using a suitable photodetector, it is converted
electronic form.
When the bias voltage is reduced ; input signal is
absorbed and it acts as 'OFF condition. Then using radio frequency amplifier ; this signal is
amplified and it is used to drive the laser source.
When the bias voltage is increased then the device
amplifies input signal. So it represents 'ON' condition. The laser source then generates another wavelength
puts Which is different than ,p:
Advantages
This is called as IR generation and its basic blóck
(i) High switching speeds. schematic is shown in Fig. 5.21.1.
(ü) t passes very large extinction ratios.
This is the basic wavelength converter, having
(ii) Using passive couplers large number of switches following drawbacks
can be integrated.
(i) There is presence of noise at the converter.
a 5.21 Wavelength Converters (iü) The output is non-linear.
(iüi) There is effect of dispersion at the output.
By connecting a logical gate at the output of RF
LQ. 5.21.1 State and explain wavelength conversion amplifier, the 'signal can be reshaped ; but there will not
techniquIes. be retiming of signal.
VAns. : This is called as 2R generation.
When input wavelength is changed to another Another variation is to generate the output wavelength
wavelength without modifying the data contained in the with reshaping and retiming.
signal ; is called as wavelength conversion. This called as 3R generation and it removes the
A device which performs this operation is called as effect of non-linearity, fiber dispersion and amplifier
wavelength converter. noise.

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