2$\,\times\,$2 Exchange/Bypass Switch Using 0.8 m of Highly Nonlinear Bismuth Oxide Fiber

We demonstrate an optically controlled 2times2 exchange/bypass switch using 0.8 m of highly nonlinear bismuth oxide fiber in an ultrafast-nonlinear-interferometer configuration. The switch has operated error-free with 10- and 40-Gb/s input signals, with power penalties in its bypass and exchange states of less than 0.3 and 1 dB, respectively. Use of the short bismuth oxide fiber ensured compact size, small latency, and improved operational stability compared to previous fiber-based switches