Miniature monolithic optical add-drop multiplexer
AssigneeConfluent Photonics Corporation
InventorsMichael B. Frish, Philip B. Keating, William J. Kessler, Steven J. Davis
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Abstract
A miniature monolithic optical add-drop multiplexer that comprises a dispersive optical element, a wavelength filter array and a diverter. The miniature monolithic optical DWDM add-drop multiplexer can be fabricated using micro- and nano-scale techniques common to the semiconductor industry. The operating principles and some characteristics of the DWDM add-drop multiplexer are described. The device will be useful in the field of optical communication as a component within networks that perform all of the necessary switching, adding, dropping, and manipulating of optical signals entirely in the optical domain.
Claims44
A miniature monolithic optical add-drop multiplexer, comprising:
- a monolithic substrate;
- a wavelength dispersive optical element fabricated on said monolithic substrate, said wavelength dispersive optical element receiving an input beam having a plurality of spatially overlapping distinct colors and providing an output signal composed of a plurality of spatially separated substantially single-color beams, each substantially single-color beam having a primary wavelength that is different than the primary wavelengths of the other substantially single-color beams;
- a wavelength filter array fabricated on said monolithic substrate and having at least one filter element, said at least one filter element receiving a selected one of said plurality of spatially separated substantially single-color optical beams and removing therefrom any portions of beams of other primary wavelengths that were separated incompletely from the selected beam by the wavelength dispersive optical element, thereby providing a purified single-color output beam substantially free of colors associated with other primary wavelengths and having a first direction of propagation;
- and
- a diverter that intercepts said purified single-color output beam and diverts said output beam from the first direction of propagation.
A method of processing an optical beam having a plurality of spatially overlapping colors, comprising the steps of:
- providing an assembly of miniature optical elements, comprising:
- a monolithic substrate;
- a wavelength dispersive optical element fabricated on said monolithic substrate;
- a wavelength filter array fabricated on said monolithic substrate;
- and
- a diverter;
- receiving an input beam having a plurality of spatially overlapping distinct colors;
- dispersing the input beam, by use of the wavelength dispersive optical element, into a plurality of spatially-separated substantially single color optical beams, each beam containing primarily a single color that is different than the color of the other substantially single color optical beams;
- filtering said at least one of the substantially single-color optical beams and removing therefrom colors other than the designated primary color of that beam, thereby providing at least one purified single-color output beam having a first direction of propagation, said output beam being substantially free of other colors;
- and
- intercepting said at least one purified single-color output beam and diverting said output beam from the first direction of propagation.
A method of fabricating a miniature monolithic optical add-drop multiplexer comprising the steps of:
- utilizing semiconductor fabrication methods to create a wavelength dispersive optical element and an array of wavelength filtering elements upon a monolithic substrate, the combination of the wavelength dispersive optical element and the array of wavelength filtering elements providing a miniature monolithic optical demultiplexer;
- and
- providing a diverter adjacent to said miniature monolithic optical demultiplexer, said diverter adapted to intercept and divert an optical beam that passes through said miniature monolithic optical demultiplexer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.