Method and apparatus for validating a path through a switched optical network

1. A method for selecting a path through a switched optical network comprising:

identifying a bit error rate of paths through the switched optical network that include a noise figure for each element on the paths by

determining an equivalent average number of noise photons per bit at an input of the element,

determining an average number of photons per bit at the output of a previous element,

determining an optical power gain of the element,

determining a constant related to deviation of the statistical noise distribution, and

determining a number of modes detectable at an end of the path by the receiver; and

validating the path if the bit error rate is within a predefined range.

2. A method for selecting a path through a switched optical network, comprising:

identifying bit error rates of paths through the switched optical network that include a noise figure for each element on the paths by

computing NF i Poission =2n i eq +1/G i +└1+n i eq V i G i ┘└Mn i eq /(G i <n i−1 >)┘ where n i eq is an equivalent average number of noise photons per bit added by the element, V i is a constant that accounts for deviation of a statistical noise distribution, G i is an optical power gain for the element, M is a number of modes detectable at an end of the path, and <n i−1 > is the average number of photons at an output of a previous element in the path; and

validating the path if the bit error rate is within a predefined range.

3. A method for selecting a path through a switched optical network, comprising:

identifying bit error rates of paths through the switched optical network that include a noise figure for each element on the paths by computing NF i Total =NF i−1 Total +A i−1 (NF i Poisson −1) for a path containing “i” elements, wherein A i ≡A i−1 (g i /G i ) is defined recursively with excess noise factor g i =1+M(n i eq /<n i−1 >); and

validating the path if the bit error rate is within a predefined range.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein initially NF 0 Total =1and A 0 =1/F 0 , where F 0 is a Fano factor of light out of the transmitting laser and A 0 =1 for a shot-noise limited source.

5. A method for validating a path through a switched optical network, comprises:

determining an optical Signal to Noise ratio at an output of an element in the path that includes a total noise figure for a chain including all preceding elements up to an including a present element of the path by recursively computing NF i Total =NF i−1 Total +A i−1 (NF i Poisson −1) for the path containing “i” elements, wherein A i ≡A i−1 (g i /G i ) is defined recursively with excess noise factor g i 1+M(n i eq /<n i−1 >);

modifying the path if the optical Signal to Noise ratio at the element is outside a predefined range; and

validating the pat if the optical Signal to Noise ratio at the receiver are within a predefined range.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein a noise figure up to and including a previous element NF i−1 Total , an average number of photons <n i−1 > at an output of the previous element, and a cumulative products of excess noise coefficients g 1 . . . g i−1 and gains G i . . . G i−1 are transmitted by the previous element to the present element.

7. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon sequences of instructions, the sequences of instructions including instructions which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform:

determining a bit error rate of paths that including a noise figure for each element on the paths comprising

determining an equivalent average number of noise photons per bit at an input of the element;

determining an average number of photons per bit at an output of a previous element;

determining an optical power gain of the element;

determining a constant related to deviation of a statistical noise distribution; and determining a number of modes detectable at an end of the path; and

validating the pat if the bit error rate is within a predefined range.