Demonstration of Asymmetric Wavelength Selective Switch Based on LCoS SLM for Optical Access Network

Abstract

In this research, an asymmetric wavelength selective switch (WSS) based on 4 by 16 switching architecture using Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCoS) Spatial Light Modulator (SLM), which offers simultaneously multicast transmission and power equalization, for application in optical access network is reported and experimentally demonstrated. A dynamic spectrum equalizer through the design of LCoS-SLM was proposed to improve the power uniformity of transmitted wavelengths, and the system multicast transmission was achieved through an efficient design of computer-generated holograms based on GS algorithm. According to the experimental measurements, the system light loss of the switching system were analyzed and the results shown that depending on different wavelength selection scenario with/without multicast transmissions, the switching system has a light loss of -21 dB ~ -26 dB and the crosstalk were measured to be less than -30 dB. Digital transmission tests were performed at a data transmission rate beyond 2.5 Gbps and the performance evaluation of each wavelength received at the output fiber ports of the switching system estimated from the measured Q factor of eye diagrams were all regarded as error-free.