Optical digital cross-connect system using photonic switch matrices and optical amplifiers

Abstract

This paper presents, for potential application to network failure restoration, an optical digital cross-connect system (DCS) which uses both a photonic switching network and an electric DCS. It is shown that a system constructed of LiNbO/sub 3/ 8/spl times/8 switch matrices and semiconductor traveling-wave optical amplifiers (TWA's) could be applied to metropolitan area networks. An experimental optical DCS system has been designed and fabricated which incorporates both LiNbO/sub 3/ switch matrices and TWA's, and with it, line-failure restoration, a fundamental operation of optical DCS, has been successfully demonstrated. >