Abstract:
Embodiments are provided for scalable photonic packet fabric architectures using photonic integrated circuit switches. The architectures use compact size silicon photonic circuits that can be arranged in a combined centralized and distributed manner. In an embodiment, an optical switch structure comprises a plurality of core photonic based switches and a plurality of photonic interface units (PIUs) optically coupled to the core photonic based switches and to a plurality of groups of top-of-rack switches (TORs). Each PIU comprises a N×N silicon photonic (SiP) switch optically coupled to a group of TORs associated with the PIU from the groups of TORs, where N is a number of the TORs in each group. The PIU also comprises a plurality of 1×P SiP switches coupled to the group of TORs associated with the PIU and to the core photonic based switches, where P is a number of the core photonic based switches.
Abstract:
A method and apparatus is provided for control of plural optical phase shifters in an optical device, such as a Mach-Zehnder Interferometer switch. Drive signal magnitude is set using a level setting input and is used for operating both phase shifters, which may have similar characteristics due to co-location and co-manufacture. A device state control signal selects which of the phase shifters receives the drive signal. One or more switches may be used to route the drive signal to the selected phase shifter. Separate level control circuits and state control circuits operating at different speeds may be employed. When the phase shifters are asymmetrically conducting (e.g. carrier injection) phase shifters, a bi-polar drive circuit can be employed. In this case, the phase shifters can be connected in reverse-parallel, and the drive signal polarity can be switchably reversed in order to drive a selected one of the phase shifters.
Abstract:
Monitoring output power levels of a carrier-effect based switching cell allows phase errors resulting from driving a PIN or PN junction of the switching cell to be dynamically compensated for. The compensation may also allow for compensating of phase errors resulting from the phase imbalance of input couplers as well as phase errors from the waveguide due to fabrication variations. By dynamically compensating for phase errors caused by the driving of the PIN or PN junction, the extinction ratio of the carrier-effect based switching cell can be increased.
Abstract:
In one embodiment, a system for steering an input packet stream includes a traffic splitter configured to split an input packet stream into a first packet stream and a second packet stream, and a photonic switching fabric coupled to the traffic splitter, where the photonic switching fabric is configured to switch the first packet stream. The system may also include an electrical packet switching fabric coupled to the traffic splitter, where the electrical packet switching fabric is configured to switch the second packet stream, and a traffic combiner coupled to the photonic switching fabric and to the electrical packet switching fabric, where the traffic combiner is configured to merge the first switched packet stream and the second switched packet stream to produce a first packet flow.
Abstract:
In one embodiment, method of photonic packet switching includes receiving, by a photonic switching fabric from a first top-of-rack (TOR) switch, a destination port request corresponding to a first photonic packet and a first period of time, where the destination port request includes a first output port and determining whether the first output port is available during the first period of time. The method also includes receiving, by the photonic switching fabric from the first TOR switch, the first photonic packet and routing the first photonic packet to the first output port when the first output port is available during the first period of time. Additionally, the method includes routing the first photonic packet to an alternative output port when the first output port is not available.
Abstract:
Embodiments are provided for scalable photonic packet fabric architectures using photonic integrated circuit switches. The architectures use compact size silicon photonic circuits that can be arranged in a combined centralized and distributed manner. In an embodiment, an optical switch structure comprises a plurality of core photonic based switches and a plurality of photonic interface units (PIUs) optically coupled to the core photonic based switches and to a plurality of groups of top-of-rack switches (TORs). Each PIU comprises a N×N silicon photonic (SiP) switch optically coupled to a group of TORs associated with the PIU from the groups of TORs, where N is a number of the TORs in each group. The PIU also comprises a plurality of 1×P SiP switches coupled to the group of TORs associated with the PIU and to the core photonic based switches, where P is a number of the core photonic based switches.
Abstract:
Crosstalk can be suppressed in photonic switching fabrics by activating unused photonic elements in a manner that manipulates the inactive connections and inhibits the propagation of cross-talk over the switching fabric. For example, unused photonic elements can be set to a cross or bar configuration to block first and second order crosstalk from propagating to the output ports, thereby reducing noise in the output signals. All of the unused elements can be activated in order to maximize crosstalk suppression. Alternatively, fewer than all of the unused elements may be activated to achieve a balance between crosstalk suppression and power conservation. Photonic switch architectures can be configured to use pre-determined cross-talk suppression maps (e.g., patterns of activated unused cells) for the various switching configurations, which may be computed using a recursive algorithm.
Abstract:
In one embodiment, optical node includes an input port configured to receive an input optical frame and a first optical switch coupled to the input port, where the first optical switch is configured to remove the input optical frame to produce a removed input optical frame when an address of the input optical frame is a node address of the optical node and to pass the input optical frame to a second optical switch when an address of the input optical frame differs from the address of the optical node. The optical node also includes the second optical switch coupled to the first optical switch, where the second optical switch is configured to output the input optical frame to an output port when the address of the input optical frame is not the node address of the optical node and the address of the input optical frame is not an empty address.
Abstract:
An apparatus comprising a plurality of alignment couplers, wherein the alignment couplers are equally spaced a first length apart from each other along a first surface, a plurality of photodetectors optically coupled to the plurality of alignment couplers, a memory, and a processor coupled to the photodetectors and the memory, wherein the memory comprises computer executable instructions stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium that when executed by the processor cause the processor to receive an electrical signal in response to at least one of the photodetectors detecting a first light, and determine an edge coupling alignment based on the electrical signal, wherein the edge coupling alignment is aligned when the electrical signal indicates two photodetectors of the plurality of photodetectors detect the first light, and wherein the edge coupling alignment is misaligned when the electrical signal indicates only one photodetector of the plurality of photodetectors detects the first light.
Abstract:
In one embodiment, a cloud radio access network (C-RAN) includes a first plurality of antennas and a first plurality of radio remote units (RRUs) coupled to the plurality of antennas. The C-RAN also includes a first plurality of broadband base units (BBUs) and a first photonic switch optically coupled between the first plurality of RRUs and the first plurality of BBUs.