Towards an all-optical terabit network: the impact of photonic bandgap structure technology

Photonic band-gap (PBG) structures, also known as photonic crystals, are one of the crucial technology factors leading to the achievement of several functions that an all-optical network asks for. PBG-based devices have numerous potential functional locations within the advanced all-optical network architecture. In the paper the state-of-art and also the possibility of potential future applications of PBG structures in optical telecommunication systems are reviewed, and their impact on the development of all-optical transport networks is discussed.