Optical switching with two FLC SLMs

A free-space optical switch concept that uses two binary phase modulating F LC SLMs is studied. The first SLM steers the input beams to output ports on the second SLM which redeflects the incident beams. The second SLM acts as an angle selective filter which reduces the crosstalk. Single mode optical fibers are assumed both at the input and at the output. The switch design is analyzed, part of the switch was studied experimentally and the full swi tch was computer simulated with regard to crosstalk and throughput. With th e ports arranged in a 2-dimensional array in the switch, it is shown that t he switch can handle a few tens of channels at a few percent crosstalk. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.