This tutorial covers the all-optical switches themselves – the various types, how they differ from electronic switches, where they sit in networks, what functions they perform, how they're controlled, and what they can and can't do. Coherent optics uses phase and amplitude to encode data, unlike PAM4 optics (Pulse amplitude modulation) which only uses amplitude. This allows coherent optics to be more resistant to noise. 1State Key Laboratory of Information Photonics and Optical Communications (IPOC), Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, 10 Xitucheng Rd, Bei Tai Ping Zhuang, Haidian Qu, Beijing, 100876, China 2IPI-ECO Research Institute, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5600MB Eindhoven, The. The aim of this paper is to build a fiber-optic network that includes the optical switch, which is the most crucial component due to its critical role in fulfilling the demands of the fiber-optic network of the future. The second tutorial covers optical switching fabric.
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