Interleaved aliased AWG filter for continuous wideband wavelength discrimination

A method operative on a controller for wavelength resolution of a narrowband optical signal presented to the input of a plurality of AWG filters, the controller coupled to:

• detector outputs of a plurality of AWG filters, each said AWG filter having a wavelength range, the wavelength range of at least one said AWG filter adjacent to the wavelength range of another said AWG filter;
• a plurality of optical sources, each said optical source operative over a range of wavelengths equal or less than the sum of fundamental wavelength range of the plurality of AWG filters, or the sum of an aliased wavelength range of the plurality of AWG filters;
• a plurality of fiber Bragg gratings (FBG) reflecting optical energy from at least one of said plurality of optical sources and directing said reflected optical energy to said plurality of AWG filters;
• the method of said controller comprising:
• enabling one of said plurality of optical sources;
• examining said plurality of detector outputs for the amplitude of a response to one or more said detectors;
• computing a wavelength from said amplitude of a response to one or more said detectors in combination with the wavelength range of said optical source which was enabled to generate said reflected optical energy.

A wavelength discriminator for the measurement of optical wavelength from a plurality of Fiber Bragg Gratings (FBGs) formed on an optical fiber, the wavelength discriminator comprising:

• a plurality of optical sources, each operative in a unique range of wavelengths;
• a plurality of Array WaveGuide (AWG) filters, each having a plurality of optical channel outputs, each said optical channel output coupled to a detector;
• each said optical source operative in either a fundamental wavelength range of said plurality of AWG filters or an aliased response of said AWG filter;
• one of said plurality of optical sources coupling optical energy to said plurality of FBGs, a subset of said plurality of FBGs reflecting optical energy to said plurality of AWG filters, said plurality of detectors discriminating a wavelength for at least one said FBG of said subset of FBGs.