All-optical packet switching techniques with label rewriting for optical packets at bit-rate beyond 160 Gb/s

We present two all-optical packet switching techniques that utilize all-optical signal processing to implement the label processor and the label rewriter. The two techniques are based on two different paradigms. One is based on wavelength routing switching [1] and the other one on space routing switching [2]. Both techniques employ scalable and asynchronous label processor and label rewriter capable to process optical in-band labeling addresses. We demonstrate a 1times4 all-optical packet switch based on both techniques. We report for both technique experimental results showing the routing operation of the 160 Gb/s packets based on the processed in-band address information, and all-optical label erasing and new label insertion operation. Based on the experimental results, we discuss and compare both techniques in term of devices and bit-rate scalability, latency, power consumption, power penalty performance and cascadability as key parameters for the realization of an all-optical packet switching node.