Optimization, of the input losses in fiber-optic communications with an acousto-optic all-optical switch

We study optical losses in the single-mode fiber system with an all-optical switch based on the anisotropic acousto-optic (AO) TeO2 2D deflector. It is shown, theoretically and experimentally, that the mismatch of the output-fiber mode profile and the switched optical beam shape depends significantly on the monochromaticity of the light beam and is determined by the frequency dispersion of the laser beam diffracted on a Bragg AO cell. A quantitative analysis of the dependence of the input optical losses on the spectral width of the light beam is presented. (c) 2006 Optical Society of America.