Forthcoming capacity scaling requirements of optical networks and advances in optical fiber communications beyond the omnipresent single-mode fiber operating over the conventional band introduces new opportunities and challenges for exploiting the expanded spectral and spatial resources available for fiber-optic network designs. The spectral and spatial degrees of freedom introduce utilization tradeoffs that can be leveraged under different applications. After briefly reviewing the supporting network building elements (emerging fiber types, multiplexers, optical switches, and amplifiers), we consider networking scenarios such as intra/inter datacenter, terrestrial, undersea, and wireless 5G/6G hauling networks and identify the best utilization plan and key attributes that can be harnessed by the offered spectral and spatial degrees of freedom for each scenario and how optical switching can be employed therein for traffic management. Networks supporting these scenarios are experiencing tremendous traffic growth pushing their existing implementations to their physical capacity-distance limits. New network builds must offer significant capacity multipliers in an efficient and cost-effective manner, requiring new switching solutions for supporting the unabated traffic growths foreseen in the years to come. We discuss how space-division multiplexed networks can help address this challenge in key communication scenarios.

中文翻译：

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未来光纤网络中利用频谱和空间自由度的光交换


即将到来的光网络容量扩展要求以及光纤通信的进步超越了在传统频段上运行的无所不在的单模光纤，为利用可用于光纤网络设计的扩展频谱和空间资源带来了新的机遇和挑战。光谱和空间自由度引入了可在不同应用下利用的利用权衡。在简要回顾支持网络构建元素（新兴光纤类型、复用器、光交换机和放大器）后，我们考虑数据中心内/间、陆地、海底和无线 5G/6G 牵引网络等网络场景，并确定最佳利用计划以及可以通过为每个场景提供的光谱和空间自由度来利用的关键属性，以及如何在其中采用光交换来进行流量管理。支持这些场景的网络正在经历巨大的流量增长，将其现有实施推向物理容量距离限制。新的网络建设必须以高效且经济高效的方式提供显着的容量倍增，需要新的交换解决方案来支持未来几年预计的流量增长。我们讨论空分复用网络如何帮助解决关键通信场景中的这一挑战。