Abstract
This paper addresses the issue of using conventional liquid crystal materials as reconfigurable holographic or diffractive phase elements within optical space switches and the resulting constraints in their choice and use in a telecommunication environment. We discuss the advantage of this technology for implementing holographic-based approaches with respect to other techniques. As an illustration we give two examples which illustrate two generic architectures and complementary use of liquid crystal to implement them. Finally, we give some trends on implementations of high channel capacity space switches based on this technology.
Résumé
Cet article traite de l’utilisation de cristaux liquides pour la génération de structures diffractives de phase au sein de commutateurs optiques spatiaux. Nous discutons des problèmes posés par leur application aux télécommunications et soulignons les avantages de cette approche par rapport à d’autres techniques. Nous présentons ensuite deux exemples de réalisation mettant en oeuvre des architectures optiques et des types de cristaux liquides différents. Finalement, nous décrivons les évolutions techniques nécessaires au développement de systèmes de grande capacité à partir de cette technologie.
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Gravey, P., de Bougrenet de la Tocnaye, J.L., Fracasso, B. et al. Liquid crystal-based optical space switches fordwdm networks. Ann. Télécommun. 58, 1378–1400 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03001736
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03001736
Key words
- Optical switch
- Space division switching
- Liquid cristal device
- Wavelength division multiplexing
- Nematic
- Smectic
- Phase modulation
- Blazed grating
- Optical modulator
- Holography