TECHNICAL FIELD

This application relates to the field of optical communications, and more specifically, to an optical waveguide apparatus.

BACKGROUND

An arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) is an important constituent part in a wavelength division network, and is mainly used in an optical terminal multiplexer (OTM) site to multiplex or demultiplex an optical signal. A channel spacing of an existing AWG is fixed. Usually, one AWG can support only one channel spacing. There are a plurality of requirements for the channel spacing in a current wavelength division network. Therefore, the existing AWG cannot meet a use requirement, and how to effectively enable a same AWG to meet different channel spacings becomes a problem that needs to be resolved urgently.

SUMMARY

This application provides an optical waveguide apparatus. The optical waveguide apparatus can transmit optical signals with different channel spacings or perform hybrid transmission of optical signals with different channel spacings, thereby reducing costs, meeting market and user requirements, and improving performance of the optical waveguide apparatus.

According to a first aspect, an optical waveguide apparatus is provided and includes a first dispersion unit and a separation unit. The first dispersion unit is connected to the separation unit, the first dispersion unit is configured to disperse a frequency component of at least one first optical signal, and the separation unit is configured to separate, into at least one second optical signal based on configuration information, the frequency component of the at least one first optical signal dispersed by the first dispersion unit, where the separation unit is implemented by a variable optical waveguide, and the variable optical waveguide is an optical waveguide that implements at least one of the following functions based on the configuration information: forming an optical signal transmission channel, eliminating the optical signal transmission channel, and changing a shape of the optical signal transmission channel.

In the optical waveguide apparatus provided in the first aspect, because the separation unit is implemented by the variable optical waveguide, based on the configuration information and based on a preset requirement or need, the separation unit may flexibly split, into a frequency component of at least one second optical signal that needs to be output, the frequency component of the at least one first optical signal dispersed by the first dispersion unit. The optical waveguide apparatus may support different channel spacings (effective frequency components widths), so that a case in which one optical waveguide apparatus needs to be disposed for each channel spacing is avoided, thereby improving use efficiency and performance of the optical waveguide apparatus. Therefore, types of the optical waveguide apparatus can be reduced, goods preparation costs can be reduced, and maintenance and management costs of the optical waveguide apparatus can be reduced.

In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the separation unit is further configured to change composition of the frequency component of the at least one second optical signal based on the configuration information. In this implementation, the optical waveguide apparatus can be enabled to support output of second optical signals with different frequency component composition. Further, use efficiency and performance of the optical waveguide apparatus are improved, a use range of the optical waveguide apparatus is increased, and costs are further reduced.

In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the composition of the frequency component includes at least one of a channel spacing of the optical signal, a center frequency of the optical signal, and a frequency grid of the optical signal.

In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the apparatus further includes a control unit, the control unit is connected to the separation unit, and the control unit is configured to control, based on the configuration information, the separation unit to separate the frequency component of the at least one first optical signal into the at least one second optical signal.

In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the separation unit includes a liquid crystal material, the control unit includes at least one electrode, and the at least one electrode determines, based on the configuration information, whether to apply a voltage to the at least one electrode, so that at least one of following functions is implemented in the liquid crystal material: forming an optical waveguide, eliminating an existing optical waveguide, and changing a shape of the existing optical waveguide, and the liquid crystal material is controlled to separate the frequency component of the at least one first optical signal into the at least one second optical signal. In this implementation, the control unit and the separation unit are separately implemented by using the electrode and the liquid crystal material, so that costs are relatively low and implementation is facilitated.

In a possible implementation of the first aspect, a frequency width allowed to be blocked between adjacent second optical signals in the at least one second optical signal is greater than or equal to a frequency width corresponding to any one of the at least one electrode.

In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the apparatus further includes an input unit and an output unit, the input unit is connected to the first dispersion unit, the input unit is configured to transmit the at least one first optical signal to the first dispersion unit, the output unit is connected to the separation unit, and the output unit is configured to output the at least one second optical signal.

In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the first dispersion unit includes an arrayed waveguide or a concave grating.

In a possible implementation of the first aspect, at least one of the at least one first optical signal includes a plurality of optical channels.

In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the apparatus further includes a second dispersion unit, the second dispersion unit is connected to the separation unit, the separation unit is further configured to transmit at least some second optical signals in the at least one second optical signal to the second dispersion unit based on the configuration information, and the second dispersion unit is configured to combine the some second optical signals into at least one third optical signal. In this implementation, hybrid transmission and exchanging of second optical signals with different frequency components are implemented, in other words, hybrid transmission and exchanging of optical signals with different channel spacings are implemented. Therefore, performance and efficiency of the optical waveguide apparatus are improved.

In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the apparatus includes an output unit, the output unit is connected to the second dispersion unit, and the output unit is configured to output the at least one third optical signal.

In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the configuration information includes composition of a frequency component of each of the at least one second optical signal.

According to a second aspect, an optical waveguide apparatus is provided and includes a combiner unit and a third dispersion unit. The combiner unit is connected to the third dispersion unit, the combiner unit is configured to transmit, based on configuration information, at least one fourth optical signal to a position corresponding to composition of a frequency component of the at least one fourth optical signal, and the third dispersion unit is configured to combine the at least one fourth optical signal into at least one fifth optical signal from the position corresponding to the composition of the frequency component of the at least one fourth optical signal, where the combiner unit is implemented by a variable optical waveguide, and the variable optical waveguide is an optical waveguide that implements at least one of the following functions based on the configuration information: forming an optical signal transmission channel, eliminating the optical signal transmission channel, and changing a shape of the optical signal transmission channel.

In the optical waveguide apparatus provided in the second aspect, because the combiner unit is implemented by the variable optical waveguide, a function such as forming the optical signal transmission channel, eliminating the optical signal transmission channel, or changing the shape of the optical signal transmission channel can be implemented. The combiner unit may flexibly form, based on the configuration information, a transmission channel for transmitting the at least one fourth optical signal, and transmit the at least one fourth optical signal to the position corresponding to the composition of the frequency component of the at least one fourth optical signal. The third dispersion unit may combine the at least one fourth optical signal into the at least one fifth optical signal from the position corresponding to the composition of the frequency component of the at least one fourth optical signal. The optical waveguide apparatus may support different channel spacings, in other words, the optical waveguide apparatus may form, based on composition of frequency components of different fourth optical signals, a transmission channel that can be used to transmit the different fourth optical signals, thereby avoiding a case in which one optical waveguide apparatus needs to be disposed for each channel spacing, and improving use efficiency and performance of the optical waveguide apparatus. Therefore, types of the optical waveguide apparatus can be reduced, goods preparation costs can be reduced, and maintenance and management costs of the optical waveguide apparatus can be reduced.

In a possible implementation of the second aspect, the combiner unit is further configured to change the composition of the frequency component of the at least one fourth optical signal based on the configuration information. In this implementation, the optical waveguide apparatus can be enabled to support transmission of fourth optical signals with different frequency components. Further, use efficiency and performance of the optical waveguide apparatus are improved, and a use range of the optical waveguide apparatus is increased.

In a possible implementation of the second aspect, the composition of the frequency component includes at least one of a channel spacing of the optical signal, a center frequency of the optical signal, and a frequency grid of the optical signal.

In a possible implementation of the second aspect, the apparatus further includes a control unit, the control unit is connected to the combiner unit, and the control unit is configured to control, based on the configuration information, the combiner unit to transmit the at least one fourth optical signal to the position corresponding to the composition of the frequency component of the at least one fourth optical signal.

In a possible implementation of the second aspect, the combiner unit includes a liquid crystal material, the control unit includes at least one electrode, and the at least one electrode determines, based on the configuration information, whether to apply a voltage to the at least one electrode, so that a transmission channel of the at least one fourth optical signal is formed in the liquid crystal material, and the liquid crystal material is controlled to transmit the at least one fourth optical signal to the position corresponding to the composition of the frequency component of the at least one fourth optical signal.

In a possible implementation of the second aspect, a frequency width allowed to be blocked between two adjacent fourth optical signals in the at least one fourth optical signal is greater than or equal to a frequency width corresponding to any one of the at least one electrode.

In a possible implementation of the second aspect, the apparatus further includes an input unit and an output unit, the input unit is connected to the combiner unit, the input unit is configured to transmit the at least one fourth optical signal to the combiner unit, the output unit is connected to the third dispersion unit, and the output unit is configured to output the at least one fifth optical signal.

In a possible implementation of the second aspect, the third dispersion unit includes an arrayed waveguide or a concave grating.

In a possible implementation of the second aspect, at least one of the at least one fifth optical signal includes a plurality of optical channels.

In a possible implementation of the second aspect, the configuration information includes composition of a frequency component of each of the at least one fourth optical signal.

