Implementation of colorless shutter-based free-space optical interconnections using ferroelectric liquid-crystal spatial light modulators

Abstract

A shutter-based free-space optical switching core has been proposed as a promising technology for constructing Storage Area Networks (SANs) over an optical network. A vital component of this switch architecture is the use of a spatial light modulator (SLM) which can enhance the SANs performance. New optical materials are utilized to raise the switching speed and ferroelectric liquid crystals (FLCs) or transparent lanthanum-modified lead zirconate titanate (PLZT) used as an SLM have been compared. Both are capable of reaching the 3 usec target, by either raising the temperature or switching voltage, which is acceptable for SANs since the performance is dominated, not so much by switching speed, but more by reliable robust switching throughput. A six-by-six free-space 12-channel multi-mode fiber ribbon switch system using one fixed wavelength has been implemented. The objective of this paper is to demonstrate that multiwavelength operation based on the CWDM band in each fiber can be implemented on the same shutter-based free-space optical switching architecture using a FLC SLM.