Solid state optical space switches for network cross-connect and protection applications

Network protection and reconfiguration is becoming increasingly important in fiber optic communications systems. This is driven by the intense traffic and high cost of lost high-data-rate optical connections. Optical cross-connects at the nodes in transmission systems are developing rapidly in response. A key optical component required for these applications is an optical space switch. Since the required timescale of network reconfiguration at the optical level is on the order of 50 ms to prevent electrical intervention. The optical space switching speed must be approximately 5 ms or faster. The demand created by these applications has motivated the development of a solid state optical space switch based on a novel planar-waveguide technology. This planar integrated optics technology relies on the thermo-optic effect in specialized optical polymer materials and results in reliable optical space switches without moving parts to wear out. This article reviews the state of the art in solid state optical space switches based on thermo-optic polymers and applications of these switches in network communication systems. The same polymer-based planar waveguide technology used to make the solid state optical space switches of today provides the basis for WDM devices. Electro-optic modulators, and devices integrating several functions (space switching, wavelength multiplexing, light generation and detection) in one component in the years to come.