Cost-effective constructions for nonblocking WDM multicast switching networks

Constructing wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) multicast switches with inexpensive components and low complexity is an important problem in optical networking, as multicasting is one of the key requirements of emerging bandwidth-intensive applications such as video conferencing, video on demand and online gaming. In this paper we present several new cost-effective designs for constructing nonblocking WDM multicast switching networks. More specifically, we provide a wide-sense nonblocking switch architecture, which uses fewer semiconductor optical amplifiers than existing architectures. In addition, for the first time we have presented a rearrangeably nonblocking WDM switch architecture using array waveguide grating routers and wavelength converters.