Hybrid wavelength division multiplexer and add/drop device using fiber optic polarization independent couplers and bragg-evanescent-couplers

Abstract

Devices for use in optical telecommunication networks are described which are capable of efficiently adding and dropping a plurality of channels, operating over a plurality of optical passbands, and being separated by a plurality of channel spacings. To accommodate the vast numbers of combinations and permutations of channel types and spacings, the network architecture includes both PINC and BEC devices in order to optimize power transfer through a network. In a preferred embodiment, a 1×16 multiplexer with equal channel passbands and spacing includes a 2-tier PINC network, followed by a 4-tier BEC network. However, in another embodiment, the 2-tier PINC network can be extended to 7-tiers to achieve 128 channels, with a channel spacing of ≧4 nm. In yet another embodiment, each of these 7-tiers can be followed by a single BEC. The selection of the quantity and order of PINC's and BEC's is determined by the quantity of channels desired, the passband of each channel, the separation between each channel, and the required isolation between channels.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.