Versatile acousto-optic vector-matrix architecture for fast optical space switches

A novel space-switching architecture based on multichannel acousto-optic deflectors is proposed. Various 8/spl times/8 GaAs system configurations at 1.55 /spl mu/m wavelength exhibit fiber-to-fiber losses ranging from 10 to 22 dB with reconfiguration times between 310 and 75 ns.