Novel modularized optical multistage interconnection network architecture with multicast capability

Summary form only given. In this paper, a new class of optical multistage interconnection network (MIN) architecture is presented, which is constructed utilizing a modularization approach rather than the traditional recursive or fixed exchange pattern methods. We show that it has the best application flexibility and provides multicast function without imposing significant negative impacts to the whole network. A new multicast pattern is also proposed here, which makes it practical and economical to apply amplification in space-division networks. Compared with existing multicast architectures, this new architecture with Dilated Benes PTP modules has better performance in terms of system SNR, the number of switch elements, and system attenuation in point-to-point connections.