Demonstration of an Integrated Buffer for an All-Optical Packet Router

We demonstrate an integrated optical buffer, fabricated in silica, with data storage up to 100 ns. The buffer consists of an array of waveguide delays between matched arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) routers and is designed for an all-optical packet router where buffering is required to resolve packet contention. By changing the incoming signal wavelength, the output port of the first AWG router is selected, thereby selecting a storage time in the buffer. All buffer channels have been demonstrated at 40 Gb/s with error-free operation and penalties of similar to 2-4 dB for bit-error rate = 1 x 10(-9).