Acousto-optic tunable switching: an interim report

In this talk we present an interim report on the state-of-the-art for acousto optical tunable filters (AOTFs) in optical switches, looking at how well they can currently meet the above requirements. In addition to looking at how recent developments in these devices have improved the behavior of a single passband, we consider the ways in which AOTF performance degrades when several nearby wavelengths channels are switched simultaneously. We present a critical evaluation of the crosstalk behavior of the AOTF, which is the major limiting factor determining its suitability for use in multiwavelength optical crossconnects.