Low-loss reconfigurable OADM for metro core optical network

Reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexers (ROADMs) will play a key role in next-generation dynamically provisioned wavelength networks. Existing ROADM subsystems, manufactured with different designs and technologies, are suffering from either high insertion losses, especially for the passing-through (express)-channels, or high manufacturing costs that are preventing their rapid deployment in networks. An architecture for an ROADM subsystem that integrates the best features of the latest available ROADM designs is proposed. The proposed ROADM subsystem, denoted as a Hybrid-ROADM, exhibits a lower insertion loss (~7 dB for express-channels) than existing ROADMs while offering simplification and cost benefit. A metro network testbed has been configured to demonstrate and compare the performance of the proposed Hybrid-ROADM module against currently available ROADM subsystems. The obtained results indicate that our Hybrid-ROADM shows better performance in metro networks than the latest available ROADM subsystems and will reduce the overall network operating costs.