In a nutshell, the goal of PPS is offering the same services as electronic packet switched networks provide, performing at much higher speeds, avoiding any OEO conversions (in the data plane), preserving transparency of the payload data (bitrates and protocol), efficiently and effortlessly coping with the huge traffic demand at the nodes, and becoming a future proof solution for carriers and operators.

Commercial availability is within reach    

Consequently, the question arises if such apparently-­superior photonic components/devices are already commercially ­available. The answer is “yes, but actually no”. It’s true, the PIC technology has left basic R&D a while ago and has now emerged from applied research laboratories into the commercial stage. The first products have hit the market in 2008. But mass production has not been reached yet. From this point of view, the market is still in its growth stage and accordingly has not achieved the same maturity level as its electronic counterpart. But with respect to fast-paced advances in Nanotechnology (the breeding ground for any innovation with PICs), the market is expected to take off very fast. If the cost/bandwidth (price per bit) ratio is beneficial – even after subtracting the hype around nano-photonics – analysts agree that the impact of PICs will be very disruptive for today’s market of electronic telecommunications components.    

The performance of PPS – and more important its ­reproducibility – largely depends on manufacturing quality. The requirement for high quality is a tough one as it scales down to the dimen­sions of the ‘nano-world’. This level of reliability has recently been achieved for some applications and first nano-photonic based components have entered the market.    

As can be seen in Figure 2, first products with optical interconnection between chips have been announced in 2008 and mass production is expected in 2009. The same applies for active PICs for Datacom and Telecom. In 2009 the photonic/electronic integration gain a maturity level suitable for mass production. Passive PICs are about to follow 2-3 years from now. The most challenging application to manufacture – as they are technologically the most sophisticated ones – are nano-scale switches and add/drop filters; the all-optical devices. The PPS belongs to this group. First products are expected for 2012.¹