A High-Performance Switch Architecture for Free-Space Photonic Switching Systems

Shigeo URUSHIDANI  Masayasu YAMAGUCHI  Tsuyoshi YAMAMOTO  

Publication
IEICE TRANSACTIONS on Communications   Vol.E82-B    No.2    pp.298-305
Publication Date: 1999/02/25
Online ISSN: 
DOI: 
Print ISSN: 0916-8516
Type of Manuscript: Special Section PAPER (Joint Special Issue on Photonics in Switching: Systems and Devices)
Category: Circuit Switching and Cross-Connecting
Keyword: 
free-space photonic switching,  multistage interconnection,  self-routing,  rerouting,  

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Summary: 
Design and evaluation of a high-performance switch architecture for free-space photonic switching systems is described. The switch is constructed of 22 switching elements and employs special multistage interconnection patterns. The connection setup algorithm and the control procedure at the switching elements are based on a "rerouting algorithm." Performance analysis shows that the blocking probability of the switch is easily controlled by increasing the number of switching stages. Example implementations of this switch are shown in which birefringent plates, polarization controllers, etc. are used.