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Speaker:        Xiaowen CHU
                Department of Computer Science
                Hong Kong University of Science & Technology

Topic:          "An Overview of Wavelength-Routed All-Optical Networks"

Date:           Monday, 12 May 2003

Time:           4:00pm - 5:00pm

Venue:          Lecture Theater F
                (Leung Yat Sing Lecture Theater, near lift nos. 25/26)
                HKUST

Abstract:

Wavelength Division Multiplexing or WDM is the most promising technology
to utilize the huge bandwidth in optical fibers. Using the WDM technique,
a single optical fiber can be divided into multiple wavelengths, each with
a capacity of tens or even hundreds of Gigabits per second. In addition,
with the matured all-optical switching technologies, wavelength-routed
all-optical WDM networks are considered to be the backbone choice in the
wide area network. In this kind of networks, an end-to-end path, called
lightpath has to be established before communications between any two
network nodes can take place.  One distinctive feature that makes it
different from the conventional circuit-switching Telephone networks is
the wavelength continuity constrain, in that the wavelengths over a
lightpath have to be the same. This potentially causes significant problem
in term of the actual capacity that the network can support, often
measured by the blocking probability.

In this talk, we first review the basic techniques in wavelength-routed
all-optical networks, and we then examine the two critical mechanisms to
improve the blocking performance, including the routing and wavelength
assignment, and wavelength conversion.



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Biography:

Mr. Xiaowen Chu is currently a Ph.D. student in the Department of Computer
Science, Hong Kong University of Science & Technology. He received his
BSc. degree in the Computer Science Department, Tsinghua University,
Beijing, in July 1999.

His research interests include routing and wavelength assignment and
wavelength conversion issues in wavelength-routed all-optical WDM
networks.


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