A Compact Optical Multiplexer - Demultiplexer System

An optical multiplexer-demultiplexer system comprising:

• an optical multiplexer system comprising an optical multiplexer and bandpass filters BF1, BF2 and BF3 operative or configured for bandpass filtering input optical or laser signals T1, T2 and T3 having different wavelengths prior to entry into the optical multiplexer, wherein the optical multiplexer is operative or configured for combining the bandpass filtered input optical or laser signals T1 and T2 after reflection of the bandpass filtered optical or laser signal T1, for combining the bandpass filtered input optical or laser signal T3 with the combined bandpass filtered input optical or laser signals T1 and T2 after reflection of the combined bandpass filtered input optical or laser signals T1 and T2, and for outputting the combined bandpass filtered input optical or laser signals T1, T2 and T3 as a single output optical or laser signal O1;
• and
• an optical demultiplexer system comprising bandpass filters BF4, BF5, BF6 and BF7, an anti-reflective (AR) coating, and an optical demultiplexer operative or configured for receiving the single output optical or laser signal O1 after passage through the bandpass filter BF4, wherein the optical demultiplexer is operative or configured for passing the single output optical or laser signal Ol to a COM port of the optical demultiplexer via the AR coating, wherein:
• the optical demultiplexer is also operative or configured for receiving on the COM port an input optical or laser signal R comprising different wavelength optical or laser signals R1, R2 and R3, to pass the input optical or laser signal R to the bandpass filter BF4 after passage of the input optical or laser signal R via the AR coating;
• the bandpass filter BF4 is operative or configured to reflect the input optical or laser signal R to the bandpass filter BF5 which is operative or configured for reflecting optical or laser signals R1 and R3 to the bandpass filter BF6 via first and second reflective elements of the optical demultiplexer and for passing the optical or laser signal R2;
• the bandpass filter BF6 is operative or configured for reflecting the optical or laser signal R3 to the bandpass filter BF7 and for passing the optical or laser signal R1;
• and
• the bandpass filter BF7 is operative or configured for passing the optical or laser signal R3.

An optical multiplexer-demultiplexer system comprising:

• an optical multiplexer (Tx) having a Tx body including a Tx1 surface and a Tx2 surface, and bandpass filters BF1, BF2 and BF3 disposed on the Tx1 surface for receiving input optical or laser signals T1, T2 and T3, respectively, wherein:
• the input optical or laser signals T1, T2 and T3, after passage through the bandpass filters BF1, BF2 and BF3, enter the Tx1 surface and pass through the Tx body, wherein the input optical or laser signal T1, after reflection at the Tx2 surface back to the Tx1 surface via the Tx body, is combined with the input optical or laser signal T2 entering the Tx1 surface, wherein the combined input optical or laser signals T1 and T2, after reflection at the Tx2 surface back to the Tx1 surface via the Tx body, is combined with the input optical or laser signal T3 entering the Tx1 surface, wherein the combined input optical or laser signals T1, T2, and T3 exit the Tx2 surface via the Tx body as an output optical or laser signal O1;
• and
• an optical demultiplexer (Rx) having an Rx body including an Rx1 surface and an Rx2 surface, bandpass filters BF4 and BF6 disposed on the Rx1 surface, and bandpass filters BF5 and BF7 and an anti-reflective (AR) coating disposed on the Rx2 surface, wherein the optical demultiplexer is operative or configured for receiving and passing the single output optical or laser signal O1 to a COM port of the optical demultiplexer system via the Rx body and the AR coating after passage of the single output optical or laser signal O1 through the bandpass filter BF4, wherein:
• the optical demultiplexer is also operative or configured to receive on the COM port an input optical or laser signal R comprising different wavelength optical or laser signals R1, R2 and R3, to pass the input optical or laser signal R to the bandpass filter BF4 via the AR coating and the Rx body;
• the bandpass filter BF4 is operative or configured to reflect the input optical or laser signal R to the bandpass filter BF5 via the Rx body;
• the bandpass filter BF5 is operative or configured for reflecting optical or laser signals R1 and R3 to the bandpass filter BF6 via first and second reflective elements and for passing the optical or laser signal R2;
• the bandpass filter BF6 is operative or configured for reflecting the optical or laser signal R3 to the bandpass filter BF7 and for passing the optical or laser signal R1;
• and
• the bandpass filter BF7 is operative or configured for passing the optical or laser signal R3.

A method of optical multiplexing and demultiplexing optical or laser signals with an optical multiplexer (Tx) having a Tx body including a Tx1 surface, a Tx2 surface and bandpass filters BF1 and BF3 disposed on the Tx1 surface, and an optical demultiplexer (Rx) having an Rx body including an Rx1 surface and an Rx2 surface, bandpass filter BF4 and BF6 disposed on the Rx1 surface and a bandpass filter BF5 disposed on the Rx2 surface, the method comprising:

• a) inputting, via the Tx1 surface, different wavelength optical or laser signals T1 and T3 into the Tx body via the respective bandpass filters BF1 and BF3;
• b) combining, at or adjacent the Tx1 surface, reflections of the optical or laser signal T1 by or adjacent the Tx2 surface and the bandpass filter BF3 with the optical or laser signal T3 entering the Tx1 surface;
• c) outputting, via the optical demultiplexer Rx after passage through the Tx2 surface, the bandpass filter BF4, the Rx1 surface and the Rx2 surface, the combined optical or laser signals T1 and T3 of step b);
• d) inputting, via the Rx2 surface, an optical or laser signal R comprising different wavelength optical or laser signals R1 and R2;
• e) reflecting, by the bandpass filter BF4, the optical or laser signal R of step d) to the bandpass filter BF5 via the Rx body;
• f) following step e), by the bandpass filter BF5, passing the optical or laser signal R2 and reflecting the optical or laser signals R1 to the bandpass filter BF6 via the Rx body;
• g) following step f), by the bandpass filter BF6, passing the optical or laser signal R1.