Photonic Networking Using Optical Add Drop Multiplexers and Optical Cross-Connects

The photonic network will enable the construction of high-capacity and flexible optical communication systems for the future data-centric era. Optical add drop multiplexers (OADMs) and optical cross connects (OXCs) along with already mature DWDM systems are key technologies for photonic networking. Prototype systems of OADMs based on the acousto-optic tunable filter (AOTF) and OXCs based on PLC optical switches have been demonstrated. This paper provides a perspective of the latest optical path layer technologies.