Distributed optical switching and interconnect chip and system

A distributed optical switching and interconnect chip, characterized in that it has a plurality of directly or indirectly connected nodes, and each node comprises:

• an optical routing unit, which has a plurality of internal input/output ports on one side and a plurality of external input/output ports on the other side;
• a laser array, connected to the internal input ports of the optical routing unit, for converting electrical signals into optical signals and sending them to the optical routing unit, wherein the laser array is operable to integrate with a high-speed modulator array which comprises modulators;
• a photodetector array, connected to the internal output ports of the optical routing unit, for converting the optical signals received by the optical routing unit into electrical signals;
• said external input/output ports of the optical routing unit are the input/output ports of the corresponding node, and the output ports of the node are connected to the input ports of other nodes through optical waveguides;
• said photodetector array is configured to convert optical signals received at the external input ports into electrical signals, which are operable to be dropped to the node or re-routed to the lasers by an electronic switching chip for re-transmission to other nodes through the external output ports;
• and
• the laser array is electrically connected to a laser driver, and the photodetector array is electrically connected to a detector driver, wherein both the laser driver and the detector driver are electrically connected to the electronic switching chip.