Extended baseline architecture for nonblocking photonic switching

A new switch architecture called extended baseline networks (EBN) is proposed for nonblocking photonic switching. This switch is a space-division multistage network using 2×2 optical switch elements which may be directional couplers fabricated on titanium diffused lithium niobate (Ti:LiNbO₃) substrates. A recursive definition for the proposed architecture is presented. Some properties including the number of switch elements required, blocking characteristics, number of crossovers, system attenuation, and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) are derived and analyzed. Most of the characteristics are shown to be better than those of other well-known networks fabricated on single Ti:LiNbO₃ substrates