Wavelength-division-multiplex photonic routers with collinear acoustooptic processing for optical label matching in spectral and time domains

A collinear acoustooptic (AO) switch has a feature of wavelength-selective switching for wavelength-division-multiplexed (WDM) signals. This feature can be used for photonic packet routing in WDM photonic networks. In this study, the application of collinear AO switches to a label recognition processor in a photonic routing system is investigated. An optical label is assumed to be encoded in spectral and time domains. Collinear AO switches are considered for use in label recognition by using multiple wavelength switching with rf control signals at multiple frequencies. By employing a combination of encoding in spectral and time domains, flexibility in routing control, and the number of represented labels can be increased. Numerical examples of label recognition are also presented.