All-Optical Ultra-Fast Networks

Photonic networks of the future will be fundamentally different from present-day networks. Performing optical processing of the media access protocol raises the capacity of the entire LAN to that of the optical fiber itself. Optical processing also permits the use of novel baseband-expansion-type protocols and architectures. In this paper, the use of optical signal processing and novel optical architectures in networks is discussed. Examples of two experimental all-optical passive star networks are presented: asynchronous code-division multiple access (spread spectrum), and fixed assignment time-division multiple access (at 500 Mbps). An active star network, utilizing an all-optical, self-routing, strictly non-blocking photonic switch, is also presented. The feasibility of future photonic networks, with 10 Gbit capacity, is discussed.