4x4 optical packet switching of asynchronous burst optical packets with a prototype, 4x4 label processing and switching sub-system.

We report a prototype, 4x4 (4 input/4 output) label processing and switching sub-system for 10-Gb/s asynchronous burst variable-length optical packets. With the prototype, we perform a 4x4 optical packet switching demonstration, achieving error-free (BER<10(-12)) label processing and switching operation for all possible input/output combinations (16 switching paths) simultaneously. Power consumption and latency of the entire, self-contained sub-system is 83 W (includes fan power) and 300 ns, respectively.

Observation of fluorescence in an optically pumped erbium-containing perfluorinated medium at 1.5 microm.

We report what is to our knowledge the first observation of erbium fluorescence at the optical communication wavelength of 1.5 microm in a perfluorinated medium. Using a Nd:YAG (355-nm) source, we observed fluorescence of the 4I(13/2) - 4I(15/2) transition with a peak wavelength of 1.535 microm and with a full width at half-maximum of 28 nm. These results can lead to new active devices that use all-fluorinated polymers.