Method for constructing an AWG based N×N non-blocking optical multicast switching network

A method for constructing an Arrayed Waveguide Grating (AWG) based N×N non-blocking optical multicast switching network, comprising

• (1) constructing an AWG based N×N copy network A(r,m) having r input ports and r output ports, each of the input ports and output ports carrying m wavelengths,
• arranging an m×m wavelength replication module (WR-module) on each port so as to have r m×m WR-modules on both an input stage and an output stage, with each consecutive m m×m WR-modules on either the input stage or the output stage being connected with an m×m AWG, resulting in r′ m×m AWGs on both an input side and an output side, r=r′m,
• arranging m middle stage copy networks A(r′,m) to be in-between the r′ m×m AWGs on the input side and the r′ m×m AWGs on the output side, each output port of each AWG on the input side being connected with an input port of one of the middle stage copy networks A(r′,m), each input port of each AWG on the output side being connected with an output port of one of the middle stage copy networks A(r′,m),
• constructing the middle stage copy network A(r′,m) recursively in a same manner;
• (2) constructing an middle stage network cell B(ri,m) by i recursive construction of subnetworks of the copy network A(r,m), followed by constructing the middle stage network cell B(ri,m) to an AWG based three-stage copy network comprising three stages of WR-modules and two AWGs, ri m×m WR-modules on an middle input stage, m ri×ri WR-modules on an middle stage, and ri m×m WR-modules on an middle output stage, the middle input stage being connected with the middle stage via an ri×m AWG, and the middle stage being connected with the middle output stage via an m×ri AWG;
• (3) constructing AWG based N×N copy networks C(r,m) by i=logm r−1 times of recursive decomposition of subnets of A(r,m), each subnet being comprised of an m×m WR-module and an m×m AWG and having an middle stage network B(m,m);
• (4) constructing an AWG based N×N multicast network (r,m) by cascading the two copy networks C(r,m) by combining an output stage WR-module of one C(r,m) for performing replication on the input side with an input stage WR-module of the other C(r,m) for performing point-to-point switching on the output side.