Systems utilizing various types of signals to represent information have made a significant contribution towards the advancement of modern society and are utilized in a number of applications to achieve advantageous results. Numerous technologies such as digital computers, calculators, audio devices, video equipment, and telephone systems facilitate increased productivity and cost reduction in analyzing and communicating information in most areas of business, science, education and entertainment. Advanced optical signal based technologies offer the potential for rapid processing and communication of large amounts of data associated with a variety of activities. The optical based systems typically involve signal manipulation by signal switching operations. However, a number of optical signal beam manipulation problems associated with achieving optimal incidence angles and/or minimal optical signal beam spreading often make traditional control of the signals difficult or impractical.
To obtain maximized performance from information systems it is usually critical for the information to be processed and communicated rapidly and reliably. Encoding information in optical signals offers the potential for manipulation and conveyance of significant amounts of information very quickly. For example, most optical systems have significant potential bandwidth capacity for processing and communicating a large quantity of data per unit of time. While some types of optical signal beam controls are relatively simple and easy to accomplish such as transmission of an optical signal beam along a confined single waveguide path (e.g., formed by a fiber optic cable strand), other types of optical signal beam control such as dynamically directing an optical signal beam along various paths are relatively difficult.
The ability to control the manipulation and propagation of optical signal beams through a variety of paths usually involves the implementation of switching elements. Switching elements provide a mechanism for directing the optical signal beam to a particular destination, often redirecting the signals along particular designated paths. However, the resources involved in manufacturing attempts at a single switch capable of redirecting optical signals goes up as the number of potential paths increase. Some traditional switching network system configurations attempt to forward a signal to multiple potential destinations by utilizing a network of discrete limited switches connected with external cabling. These traditional attempts typically consume significant resources to manufacture each discrete switch of limited capability and additional resources to “wire” them together (e.g., connect cables between each individual limited switch). Another traditional approach to switching operations involves converting an optical signal into an electrical signal and vise versa. These approaches are usually slow and require significant resources to implement.
Switching optical signal beams typically involves significant challenges for single switches capable of directing optical signal beams along a variety of paths. The nature of light propagation gives rise to a number of complications that can potentially limit or impede the ability to direct an optical signal beam to a particular destination. Cumulative detrimental effects associated with repeated redirection of optical signals tend to limit the practical utilization of traditional optical switches for applications involving significant control flexibility. The relationship of incidence angles and output angles can give rise to detrimental effects in situations where angles become cumulatively deeper each time an optical switch redirects an optical signal beam. Large incidence angles often prevent the propagation of an optical signal beam to a nearby device at an optimal incidence angle. Another potential detrimental impact of repeated redirection of an optical signal beam is deteriorating divergence or spread of the optical signal beam. Each time an optical beam is switched it spreads and a portion of the signal energy is lost. Theses energy losses are typically cumulative and have adverse impacts on interpreting the weakened signals.