An Interesting Article.....
AT&T Researchers Use Tiny Mirrors to Manage Global Networks
biz.yahoo.com
SAN DIEGO, Feb. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Research by scientists at AT&T Labs has pointed the way to a new class of technologies for managing and restoring data traffic in high-capacity optical networks, the company announced today at the Optical Fiber Communications conference here.
The researchers' innovative approach involves tiny micromirrors (each slightly larger than the diameter of a human hair) that eventually may handle provisioning and restoration of large-scale, high-capacity optical networks.
By using standard integrated-circuit design techniques, 64 free-rotating hinged micromirrors, together with tiny mechanical actuators, are fabricated on one-centimeter square silicon chips (about one-fourth the size of a standard postage stamp). The actuators trigger the micromirrors to rapidly flip up and down - directing light beams among optical fibers.
''AT&T Labs is pursuing this research because AT&T operates one of the largest fiber-optic networks in the world and needs to stay ahead of the industry's fast pace of technological advances,'' said Robert (Bob) Tkach, division manager of Lightwave Networks Research at AT&T Labs. ''Wavelength- division multiplexing (WDM) is one of these advances that AT&T and other network operators are currently using to keep up with the explosion in bandwidth demand.''
With the advent of WDM technology, the volume of data traffic that network operators can transport increases dramatically. Using WDM techniques, AT&T could eventually carry up to 100 parallel data streams (each carrying up to 10 gigabits per second) on a single optical fiber using distinct colors of light.
''Huge increases in data-communications traffic present new challenges for maintaining network reliability,'' Tkach said. ''To ensure the high level of service quality that our customers expect, AT&T will rely on this technology to restore and establish new optical connections faster and more efficiently.''
''AT&T Labs is presenting its research findings at this conference to further understanding of optical switching,'' Tkach added. ''Our goal in this is not to profit from the technology itself, but instead to stimulate its development in the vendor community. Therefore we are open to collaboration and licensing our intellectual property in this area.''
This research addresses one of today's most difficult challenges of optical-switching technology -- interconnecting large arrays of crossing optical signals. AT&T Labs' micromirror switch interconnects in a free-space optical propagation region, which allows light beams to cross through one another without mutual interaction -- reducing signal loss and eliminating distortion.
''Free-space micromachined optical-switching technology is currently in its infancy and it still faces several significant technology hurdles before it's ready to be deployed,'' said Lih-Yuan Lin, senior technical staff member in the Lightwave Networks Research department at AT&T Labs. ''Still, this research holds great promise as a route to the large-scale optical crossconnects that will almost certainly be needed in order to provision and restore the emerging onslaught of data traffic.''
Lin will present three papers on micromachined optical switches at the conference this week. Other AT&T Labs researchers are presenting papers on transmission and networking technologies including: four papers on high-capacity transmission, two papers on passive optical networks, two papers on optical networks, as well as papers on broadband access and cable-upgrade techniques. Additionally, AT&T Labs researchers will conduct short courses on Transport Network Fundamentals and Optical for WDM Communications Networks.
AT&T Labs, the research and development unit of AT&T, is working to create the information services and communications network of tomorrow. AT&T Labs is a leader in the development of technologies and standards for audio, speech, video and image compression; electronic commerce and digital copyright management; search and directory services; speech processing and coding of all sorts; network architecture, design, engineering and operations; and other areas critical to the advancement of new communications and Internet offerings.
SOURCE: AT&T |
