Compact 8×8 SOA-Based Optical WDM Space Switch in Generic InP Technology

As the global internet protocol (IP) traffic volume growth puts more pressure on network connectivity, bandwidth and latency requirements, crucial network elements such as switches need continuous improvement. To this end, we report a monolithically integrated, ultra-compact 8×8 optical space switch based on semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) gates, utilizing ultra-compact bends and denser SOA placement and demonstrating a strictly non-blocking broadcast and select (B&S) switch architecture on-chip. The switch circuitry comprises 80 SOAs, 112 multimode interference (MMI) splitters, and hundreds of waveguide bends and crossings integrated onto a 4.6×8 mm2 generic indium phosphide (InP) die with I/O access on the same side. In addition, the SOA waveguide geometry is specifically optimized to improve output saturation power by 2 dB and enable WDM operation. The physical layer characterization shows lossless operation on-chip due to the three SOAs in a path that provides enough gain to compensate for on-chip passive losses. The best-case OSNR is higher than 40 dB. We perform static data signal routing with four-channel wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) data signals at 25 Gb/s and 35 Gb/s, resulting in a worst-case 2 dB power penalty on receiver sensitivity. Additionally, we dynamically switch data signals at bit rates up to 35 Gb/s obtaining a power penalty similar to the static routing. The recorded rising and falling times are 4 and 6.4 ns, respectively, suggesting this chip is suitable for packet-scale fast switching applications

140 Gb/s WDM Data Routing in a Lossless Strictly Non-Blocking SOA-Based Photonic Integrated 8×8 Space Switch

We demonstrate 4×35 Gbps error-free WDM data routing in a lossless compact 8×8 InP optical space switch with 2 dB worst-case penalty. 10 dB IPDR within 1.5 dB power penalty is measured at 12.5 Gbps

Dense photonic InP integration for modular nodes in next generation optical networks

Photonic WDM switches and photonic integrated WSS are designed as building blocks to realize novel modular metro node architectures. Advances in compact photonic integrated InP switches using the InP generic technology will be discussed

Photonic integrated nodes for next-generation metro optical networks

We present a scalable and novel modular optical metro core node architecture employing photonic WDM integrated switches. Multi-degree switching ROADM nodes are used at the metro-core level, while access network is constituted by low-cost ROADM nodes. Photonic integrated switches have been designed as the building blocks to realize this modular metro node architectures, namely photonic WDM space switches with express and add/drop ports, photonic integrated WSS aggregation/disaggregation functions for merging/dropping the network traffic, and photonic integrated multi-cast switch (MCS), to achieve, together with bandwidth variable transceivers aggregators, multi-Terabits/second operation per link. In particular, photonic WDM space switches and photonic integrated WSS are designed as building blocks to realize this novel modular metro node architectures. Moreover, dynamic re-configurable metro-access nodes based on low-cost photonic integrated mini-ROADMs will be presented. The lossless photonic WDM switches are based on InP technology and employ semiconductor optical amplifiers as on-chip gain element and for fast switching. The photonic WDM circuits allow to switch multiple format data signals in wavelength, space and time for full flexibility, scalability of the interconnected network elements, as well as capacity. Applications will be discussed and experimental results will be reported. Finally advances in compact photonic integrated InP switch design using the InP generic technology will be discussed