A 1.7 gigabit-per-second, time-multiplexed photonic switching experiment

Current experimental Ti:LiNbO 3 switching systems need electronics for control, regeneration, and compensation for the imperfections of the photonic switching fabric. These early photonic switches do, however, have advantages over their electronic counterparts: 1) They can carry 100 Mb/s or 10 Gb/s with little modification to the switching fabric, 2) They are synergistic with fiber transmission, especially when optical amplifiers can be used, 3) They provide valuable experience in optics and photonic switching, 4) They give insight into the future of optical switching and how the signaling and protocols of the network need to evolve to accommodate this emerging technology.