Abstract

A simple bulk optic structure is described that is suitable for multiplexing or demultiplexing many closely spaced wavelengths of light. Aside from input/output coupling hardware, the structure is comprised of a single glass, high finesse, Fabry-Perot etalon with a low efficiency diffraction grating etched into one face. The device concept provides a capability for multiplexing ratios in excess of 10, channel frequency separations smaller than 1 GHz, and can be designed to support optical networks having a total communication capacity in excess of 100 GHz. A laboratory model of the multiplexer was constructed and evaluated to demonstrate concept feasibility. The demonstration model, adjusted to demultiplex nine channels separated by 2.2 GHz for a total capacity of 20 GHz, exhibited a throughput optical coupling of −7 dB and a signal-to-crosstalk ratio greater than 15 dB.

© 1989 Optical Society of America

Fabrication of a multichannel wavelength-division multiplexing–passive optical net demultiplexer with arrayed-waveguide gratings and diffractive optical elements

Edgar Pawlowski, Margit Ferstl, Heik Hellmich, Berndt Kuhlow, Carsten Warmuth, and José R. Salgueiro
Appl. Opt. 38(14) 3039-3045 (1999)

Echelon grating multiplexers for hierarchically multiplexed fiber-optic communication networks

Donald H. McMahon, William A. Dyes, Ronald F. Cooper, William C. Robinson, and Amaresh Mahapatra
Appl. Opt. 26(11) 2188-2196 (1987)

Optical demultiplexer for a wavelength division multiplexing system

Koh-ichi Aoyama and Jun-ichiro Minowa
Appl. Opt. 18(8) 1253-1258 (1979)

Wavelength-selective filters for single-mode fiber WDM systems using Fabry-Perot interferometers

Stephen R. Mallinson
Appl. Opt. 26(3) 430-436 (1987)

Narrow-band ten-channel optical multiplexer and demultiplexer using a Fourier diffraction grating

Masanori lida, Hiroyuki Asakura, Kazou Eda, and Kiyokazu Hagiwara
Appl. Opt. 31(20) 4051-4057 (1992)