Abstract

After a decade of research, polymer-based components such as passive couplers and splitters and also optical fiber have matured and are now commercially available. Recently, space switches were added to this list after Akzo Nobel’s introduction of their Solid State Optical Switches. These single-mode switches combine wavelength-and polarization-independent switching characteristics with a switching time of 1 ms [1,2]. The need for switching in the optical domain is increasing rapidly with the growing importance of protection switching and dynamic reconfiguration of fiber-optic networks. To further utilize network capacity, the use of multiple wavelengths (WDM) is expanding [3,4]. The first polymer-based wavelength multiplexers have been demonstrated by NTT as well as Akzo Nobel [5,6]. Below, recent developments in polymeric space switches and wavelength multiplexers are reviewed. First, the breakthroughs in polymer properties that enabled the development of the aforementioned components are summarized.

© 1996 Optical Society of America