A cyclic MUX-DMUX photonic cross-connect architecture for transparent waveband optical networks

A novel photonic cross-connect (PXC) configuration with cyclic multiplexers and demultiplexers (DMUXs) is proposed for realizing dynamic switching and transparent add-drop in waveband dense wavelength-division-multiplexed networks. The PXC architecture allows for a flexible operation while maintaining low optical losses for express wavebands and add-drop wavelengths. The drop functionality of this architecture is demonstrated using an integrated cyclic optical DMUX and four 10-Gb/s PIN receivers with an average receiver sensitivity of -34 dBm as a compact and cost-effective solution.