DENSE TREE OPTICAL SWITCH NETWORK

摘要

An optical switch network for connecting P switch input waveguides (12) to Q switch output waveguides (14). The switch input waveguides enter a branching subnetwork (16) consisting of a plurality of branching cascades (30). In each branching cascade, an array of 1x2 splitters (26) connects the input waveguides of the cascade to the output waveguides of the cascade, and the output waveguides of the cascade cross within the cascade so that output waveguides that connect the same switch input waveguide emerge from the cascade P output waveguides apart. The output waveguides of the branching subnetwork (22) connect directly to 2x1 combiners (28) of a combining subnetwork (20) that connects the output waveguides of the branching subnetwork to the Q switch output waveguides.