OTDM Networking for Short Range High-Capacity Highly Dynamic Networks

This PhD thesis aims at investigating the possibility of designing energy-efficient high-capacity (up to Tbit/s) optical network scenarios, leveraging on the effect of collective switching of many bits simultaneously, as is inherent in high bit rate serial optical data signals. The focus is on short range highly dynamic networks, catering to data center needs.

The investigation concerns optical network scenarios, and experimental implementations of high bit rate serial data packet generation and reception, scalable optical packet labeling, simple optical label extraction and stable ultra-fast optical packet switching, with the constraint that there must be potential energy savings, which is also evaluated.

A survey of the current trends in data centers is given and state-of-the-art research approaches are mentioned. Optical time-division multiplexing is proposed and demonstrated to generate Tbit/s data packets, and time lens based serial-to-parallel converter is employed to demultiplex each high-capacity packet into lower bit rate tributaries.

A novel optical label scheme is suggested and experimentally demonstrated, where the label information is inserted in-band in the broad signal spectrum and its scalability is demonstrated by generating up to 65.536 distinct optical labels for 1.28 Tbit/s data packets. The optical label information is extracted and decoded using a simple opto-electronic based label detection module.

In particular, four stable switching control signals are decoded from 640 Gbit/s variable length data packets. Finally, three optical switching scenarios of high-capacity data packets, including a record-high 1×2 optical packet switching of 1.28 Tbit/s serial packets, are experimentally demonstrated using electro-optic based LiNbO3 switches.