Optical Network Switch for Dynamically Reconfigurable Multicast Topologies

Optical switching technology is integral to data communication and underpins modern network infrastructures. With growing data traffic, the need for more efficient and flexible optical switches is increasing. Traditional optical switches process each light path separately,  leading to blocked scenarios and service interruptions. Conventional techniques usually separate light paths to avoid interference, but this practice can be operationally complex and inefficient. Furthermore, the issue with these conventional methods is that they often fail to avoid optical signal interference entirely when the paths intersect. The complexity and inefficiency associated with existing approaches underline the necessity for a more robust, streamlined method to manage multiple optical beams without interference.

Technology Description

This technology is a method for nonblocking optical switching. This sophisticated method drives a first optical beam from one input to an output via a specific path in an optical switching fabric. This path passes through a phase shifter sandwiched between a set of cascaded Mach-Zehnder interferometers. Additionally, the method accommodates a second optical beam for a different path intersecting with the first in the optical switching fabric. The unique aspect of this technology is that it can relocate the first optical beam from its initial path to an alternate one, linking the initial input and output, but without crossing the second light path. This shift is coupled with a phase shift of the first optical beam, administered by the phase shifter, as the beam moves to its new path. This prevention of interference between the first and second optical beams differentiates this technology and boosts its efficiency.