Wavelength-Selective Switches for ROADM Applications

The trends, architecture, and performance of wavelength-selective switches (WSS) are analyzed in the context of their application to reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer (ROADM)-based optical networks. The resulting analyses define the requirements for the latest generation of ROADM systems and provide insight into the critical specifications of this technology. In addition, the current trends for WSS technology are reviewed in the context of synergies with the strengths of different switching technologies.