Integrated Cross Connect Optical Switch

To address the Air Force need for next generation space-based optical router military communications, Luminit proposes to develop an innovative integrated cross-connect optical switch (ICCOS) based on passive optical routing and active electronic buffering. Data envelopes are sent via transmitters through an optical cross-connect router into burst-mode receivers. The scheduler configures the wavelengths of the transmitters and thereby the connection pattern between transmitters and receivers. By electrically tuning the wavelength of the laser, the ICCOS can route the light from any input port to any output port through a strictly nonblocking optical cross-connect wavelength router. The ICCOS can be made with commercial components such as wavelength tunable DBR laser transmitters and an arrayed waveguide gratings router. This passive optical router is scalable, reconfigurable, reliable, and consumes no power, and can be packaged in a hermetically-sealed robust and flightworthy box. The ICCOS takes the full advantage of optics in interconnection/routing and electronics in switching/buffering. In Phase I, we will develop a design concept for the ICCOS and demonstrate the feasibility through modeling, simulation and preliminary experimentation. The successful Phase I demonstrations will develop a practical path to an optimized Phase II prototype that will meet the Air Force requirements. BENEFIT: Military applications of ICCOS include communications satellites, high bandwidth communications large ships and GIG-BE communications ground stations.  The ICCOS can be incorporated by the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Army into communications satellites, large ships and ground stations to meet the steadily growing demand for high capacity optical communications.  Commercial applications for ICCOS include telecommunications industry and avionics.