Patent ID: 6983097

Claim:
A method for directing a communication amongst processing units, comprising: providing an optical backplane interconnecting said processing units, wherein said optical backplane comprises a network of optical waveguides for guiding a polarized light of a plurality of wavelengths, and magneto optic rotator (MOR) routers, wherein said MOR routers are grating connected to said network of optical waveguides, and wherein each of said plurality of wavelengths is individually grating coupled to said MOR routers: keeping track of a state of said optical backplane; accepting requests for said communication from one or more of said processing units; identifying one or more available optical paths on said optical backplane, wherein said available optical paths are connecting processing units in need of communication; setting conditions of said optical routers along said one or more available optical paths, wherein said conditions allow for transmitting light along said one or more available optical paths; and directing said processing units in need of communication to execute said communication.