Software Defined Networking Photonics
SDN is rapidly finding application in optical systems. Unlike other data networking platforms, however, optical systems are not programmable today. They involve complex engineering rules often compared to the design complexity of ‘analog’ electronics. To go along with chip-scale optical components we need ‘digital’ photonics with programmability of digital electronics. For communication systems this means realizing software defined networking photonics.
CIAN research is investigating methods of realizing programmability in optical systems at the deepest levels and focused on the latest integrated devices. This includes both hardware and software methods to simplify the control and increase the flexibility of optical systems. Photonic integrated monitoring components are used with programmable transceivers orchestrated by SDN controllers. We are building the tools to not only create new functionality, but also to prototype and test it.
