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8 × 8 SOA-based optical switch with zero fiber-to-fiber insertion loss
Optics Letters
|August 16, 2020
Summary
This study reports an 8x8 lossless optical switch using semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) gates. The novel design achieves error-free 10 Gbps data transmission across all paths, minimizing signal loss.
Area of Science:
- Photonics
- Optical Engineering
- Telecommunications
Background:
- Optical switches are crucial for high-speed data networks.
- Minimizing signal loss in optical switches is a significant challenge.
- Semiconductor Optical Amplifiers (SOAs) offer potential for gain integration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and fabricate a novel 8x8 lossless optical switch.
- To utilize SOA gates for gain compensation and loss reduction.
- To characterize the performance of the optical switch at high data rates.
Main Methods:
- An 8x8 Banyan switch architecture was implemented using 2x2 switch stages.
- A total of 48 Semiconductor Optical Amplifiers (SOAs) were integrated.
- Each optical path incorporated three SOAs for active gain.
- Error-free transmission tests were conducted using 10 Gbps NRZ PRBS-31 signals.
Main Results:
- The fabricated 8x8 optical switch demonstrated lossless operation.
- All 64 optical paths achieved error-free 10 Gbps NRZ PRBS-31 transmission.
- A signal-to-noise ratio of at least 30 dB was maintained.
- The power penalty remained below 0.9 dB across all paths.
Conclusions:
- The SOA-based 8x8 optical switch effectively compensates for insertion losses.
- The demonstrated performance meets requirements for high-speed optical communication systems.
- This design offers a viable solution for building scalable, low-loss optical switching fabrics.
