The current internet speed is limited by the node switching speed. This is because a conversion from optical to electronic and then back to optical is required at a node. This is obvious because the current packet switching is being done at the electronic level. A packet is used to carry information over the internet. this packet need to be switched at each node to reach the destination. Packet has header to identify the destination. Depending on the header, a packet is rightly directed to the destination. However, this is being carried out in the electronic domain.
Optical packet switching is technique which will enable this to be done in the optical domain and at a much higher speed. To enable optical packet switching, there is a requirement of optical random access memory (RAM). Optical RAM can be used for queuing packets at a node which are to be switched. The possible solution to an optical RAM is to use an erbium doped fiber. Erbium doped fiber acts as an amplifier. The amplification provided by erbium doped fiber is not what Optical RAM is concerned with.But, the fiber doped with erbium can be made to show two states namely- absorption state and transparent state, which are analogous to 0 and 1.
Optical packet switching is technique which will enable this to be done in the optical domain and at a much higher speed. To enable optical packet switching, there is a requirement of optical random access memory (RAM). Optical RAM can be used for queuing packets at a node which are to be switched. The possible solution to an optical RAM is to use an erbium doped fiber. Erbium doped fiber acts as an amplifier. The amplification provided by erbium doped fiber is not what Optical RAM is concerned with.But, the fiber doped with erbium can be made to show two states namely- absorption state and transparent state, which are analogous to 0 and 1.
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