Regardless of the component technologies that are implemented in the system, the optical network must perform several specific functions in order to achieve maximum efficiency.

Wavelength Add/Drop Multiplexers

The first element to be integrated into the optical network is the optical multiplexer. The multiplexer combines multiple wavelengths onto a single fiber, which allows all the signals to be routed along the same fiber. The initial application for multiplexers has been to increase capacity on existing fiber routes without adding more fiber, but they will serve as entry points to the optical layer in many more aspects, including add/drop multiplexers and optical cross-connects.

Wavelength Switches

The ability to switch individual wavelengths is crucial to maximizing the capacity and efficiency of optical networks. A wavelength switch provides functionality similar to an electrical switch by routing an incoming wavelength to a variety of physical output ports.

Wavelength Converters

The final element in optical networks is the wavelength converter, which converts an incoming signal's wavelength to a different outgoing wavelength, entirely in the optical domain. This will allow the network traffic to be groomed to optimize for traffic patterns or network architecture.