Advances and applications in optical networking and switching

This survey paper gives a comprehensive overview of the most recent advances and applications in optical networking and switching. It presents the development of telecommunication industry, tracing the great shift from asynchronous, to synchronous (SONET), to optical networks. The main drivers that led to today's high-speed networks have also been discussed. The main technologies behind optical networks such as Wavelength Division Multiplexers (WDM), Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexers (DWDM), and Erbium Doped Fiber Amplifiers (EDFA) have been described. The focus is then shifted to optical switching including both Optical-Electrical-Optical (O-E-O) switching and the all-optical/photonic switching technologies. A great emphasis is directed towards the latter technology, including its characteristics and promises to optical networks, as well as describing the most recent development in photonic switching technologies such as the MEMS, liquid crystals, bubbles, thermo optics and more. Finally, possible applications of photonic/all-optical switching technology and the challenges facing its large deployment in today's networks are discussed.