Power fairness for multicast traffic in optical networks with adaptive light splitters

To perform data multicasting in the optical layer, optical nodes must be equipped with light splitters. Light splitters can split one light wave to more than one node output. A lot of work had been done in order to enhance the structure of the light splitter in a way to reduce its cost and enhance its performance in terms of the power loss resulted of multiple splitting. To guarantee the fairness of power received by different members of a same multicast group, the use of adaptive light splitters is required. Adaptive light splitters allow splitting an incoming light signal into two or more node output with the ability of varying the individual power of each output signal. This paper studies the benefits of using adaptive splitters on the value of the power received by each of the multicast group members in a way to assure fairness among all members.