2-to-4 optical multicast using active vertical coupler optical crosspoint switch matrix

A novel optical multicast switching scheme using an active vertical coupler (AVC)-based optical crosspoint switch (OXS) matrix is expanded from a 1-to-N broadcast to 2-to-N multicast. The switching characteristics, switched signal quality, and optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) have been investigated in different multicasting configurations. All configurations are shown to be nearly free from power splitting loss. Power penalties of less than 4.5 dB are found in switched signals in the 2-to-4 configuration. Slow OSNR degradation in line with previous prediction is also observed.