Abstract
A scalable monolithically integrated photonic space switch is proposed which uses a combination of Mach-Zehnder modulators and semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) for improved crosstalk performance and reduced switch loss. This architecture enables the design of high-capacity, high-speed, large-port count, low-energy switches. Extremely low crosstalk of better than -50 dB can be achieved using a 2 × 2 dilated hybrid switch module. A 'building block' approach is applied to make large port count optical switches possible. Detailed physical layer multiwavelength simulations are used to investigate the viability of a 64 × 64 port switch. Optical signal degradation is estimated as a function of switch size and waveguide induced crosstalk. A comparison between hybrid and SOA switching fabrics highlights the power-efficient, high-performance nature of the hybrid switch design, which consumes less than one-third of the energy of an equivalent SOA-based switch. The significantly reduced impairments resulting from this switch design enable scaling of the port count, compared to conventional SOA-based switches.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 6581891 |
Pages (from-to) | 3077-3084 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Journal of Lightwave Technology |
Volume | 31 |
Issue number | 18 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 15 Sept 2013 |
Keywords
- Mach-Zehnder interferometers
- optical switches
- packet switching
- semiconductor optical amplifiers
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics