  Data center networks are experiencing unprecedented exponential growth,
mostly driven by the continuous computing demands in machine learning and
artificial intelligence algorithms. Within this realm, optical networking
offers numerous advantages, including low latency, energy efficiency, and
bandwidth transparency, positioning it as a compelling alternative to its
electronic counterparts. In this work, we showcase a range of software-defined
optical networking applications deployed on a general-purpose programmable
integrated photonic processor. Leveraging graph-based theory, we experimentally
demonstrate dynamic optical interconnects, circuit switching, and multicasting
on the same photonic platform, yielding remarkable results in terms of
crosstalk and reconfiguration speed. Our approach harnesses the benefits of
reconfigurability and reliability, paving the way for a new generation of
high-performance optical devices tailored for data center and computing
clusters.
