New architectures for optical TDM switching

A systematic theoretical study of architectures for optical TDM switching, using lithium niobate optical switches and optical fiber delay lines for storage, is undertaken. The architectures allow the bit rate and wavelength transparency of these devices to be exploited. A technique involving recursive definition and proof is used to define the networks, which are mathematically related to Benes and Waksman networks. This produces architectures that are very different from existing optical TDM networks. They exhibit economical use of components, which reaches the theoretical minimum in some cases. The use of feed-forward rather than feed-back delays give these networks superior crosstalk performance and more uniform attenuation than existing designs.