Self-routing design of nonblocking WDM switches based on arrayed waveguide grating

Abstract

Arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) is a promising technology for constructing high-speed large-capacity WDM switches, because it can switch fast, is scalable to large size and consumes little power. To take the full advantages of high-speed AWG, the routing control of a massive AWG-based switch should be as simple as possible. In this paper, we focus on the self-routing design of AWG-based switches with O(1) constant routing complexity and propose a novel construction of self-routing AWG switches that can guarantee the attractive nonblocking property for both the wavelength-to-wavelength and wavelength-to-fiber request models. It is expected that the proposed construction will be useful for the design and all-optical implementation of future ultra high-speed optical packet/burst switches.