Abstract

The size of an optical switching network based on 2×2 optical switching elements, is limited by a series of factors: the relatively small phisical size of the substrate (no more than 100×75 mm for LiNbO₃), the phisical size, loss and crosstalk of the switching element, the loss introduced by the fiber-substrate coupling and the large radii (more than 1 cm) imposed to the waveguide to keep bend loss around few hundredths of dB/degree.

© 1987 Optical Society of America