Wavelength division multiplexing/demultiplexing systems

A multiple channel optical demultiplexing system, comprising:

• a beam splitter configured to separate an input multiple wavelength beam into a first multi-wavelength beam and a second multi-wavelength beam;
• a first demultiplexer configured to receive and separate the first multi-wavelength beam into a plurality of wavelength channels;
• and
• a second demultiplexer configured to receive and separate the second multi-wavelength beam into a plurality of wavelength channels;
• wherein at least one of the first or second demultiplexers is selected from the group consisting of a bulk polymer zigzag demultiplexer, a diffractive grating demultiplexer, and an arrayed waveguide grating demultiplexer.

A multiple channel optical demultiplexing system, comprising:

• means for separating an input multiple wavelength beam into a first multi-wavelength beam and a second multi-wavelength beam, the separating means selected from the group consisting of a slab beam splitter, a cube beam splitter, a prism beam splitter, an integrated beam splitting surface, a dichroic beam splitter, a polarizing beam splitter, an interleaver, a bandpass filter, a low-pass filter, a high-pass filter, and a fiber Bragg grating filter;
• means for demultiplexing the first multi-wavelength beam into a plurality of wavelength channels;
• and
• means for demultiplexing the second multi-wavelength beam into a plurality of wavelength channels.

An optical demultiplexing device, comprising:

• a first demultiplexer component configured to separate a first multi-wavelength beam into a plurality of wavelength channels along a zigzag optical path;
• a second demultiplexer component attached to the first demultiplexer component and configured to separate a second multi-wavelength beam into a plurality of wavelength channels along a zigzag optical path;
• and
• a beam splitter positioned at an interface between the first demultiplexer component and the second demultiplexer component, the beam splitter adapted to separate an input multiple wavelength beam into the first multi-wavelength beam and the second multi-wavelength beam.

A method for demultiplexing a multiple wavelength optical energy beam, comprising:

• dividing an input optical energy beam into a plurality of multi-wavelength beams of discrete wavelength ranges, wherein the input optical energy beam is divided by a first beam splitter that separates the input optical energy beam into a first multi-channel beam and a second multi-channel beam;
• dividing the second multi-channel beam into a third multi-channel beam and a fourth multi-channel beam by a second beam splitter positioned along the optical path of the second multichannel beam;
• directing the first, third, and fourth multichannel beams into a plurality of demultiplexers;
• and
• separating each of the first, third, and fourth multichannel beams into a plurality of optical signal channels.

A multiple channel optical multiplexing system, comprising:

• a first multiplexer configured to receive and combine a first plurality of wavelength channels into a first multi-wavelength beam;
• a second multiplexer configured to receive and combine a second plurality of wavelength channels into a second multi-wavelength beam;
• and
• a beam splitter in optical communication with the first and second multiplexers, the beam splitter adapted to combine the first multi-wavelength beam with the second multi-wavelength beam to produce an output multiple wavelength beam, the beam splitter selected from the group consisting of a slab beam splitter, a cube beam splitter, a prism beam splitter, an integrated beam splitting surface, a dichroic beam splitter, and a polarizing beam splitter.

An optical multiplexing device, comprising:

• a first multiplexer component configured to combine a first plurality of wavelength channels into a first multi-wavelength beam along a zigzag optical path;
• a second multiplexer component attached to the first multiplexer component and configured to combine a second plurality of wavelength channels into a second multi-wavelength beam along a zigzag optical path;
• and
• a beam splitter positioned at an interface between the first multiplexer component and the second multiplexer component, the beam splitter adapted to combine the first multi-wavelength beam and the second multi-wavelength beam into an output multiple wavelength beam.