At the OFC 2014 show in San Francisco, Huawei showcased a wavelength-based all-optical cross-connect technology that operates in 8-dimensions (80 waves per dimension). The optical cross-connect prototype implements a free cross-connect of 640 x 640 waves.
Huawei said its optical cross-connect prototype uses an industry-leading optical engine that enables a programmable million-pixel array to be integrated into a 1 cm2 silicon wafer. This is like integrating a million tiny mirrors into a space no larger than a coin; the engine can then control the cross-connect directions of the wavelengths by manipulating these “mirrors”.
The innovation is seen as an important step in the evolution from transport networks to all-optical networks.
