Method and apparatus for an optical filter
First Claim
1. An optical device for splitting and combining optical signals, the optical device comprising:
- a first filter for splitting and combining odd and even channels depending on a propagation direction, the first filter exhibiting complementary phase retardations corresponding with odd integer multiples of half a wavelength for each center wavelength associated with a selected one of the odd set of channels and the even set of channels and corresponding with integer multiples of a full wavelength for each center wavelength associated with a remaining one of the odd set and the even set; and
a second filter coupled with the first filter to filter the odd and even sets of channels with phase retardations complementary to those experienced in the first filter.
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Abstract
An optical device that can be used in a range of telecommunications applications including optical multiplexers/demultiplexers and optical routers. The optical device splits and combines optical signals of frequency division multiplexed optical communication channels which are evenly spaced apart in frequency from one another. The optical device includes a first filter and a second filter. The first filter splits and combines odd and even channels depending on the propagation direction of the optical signal. The first filter exhibits complementary phase retardations corresponding with odd integer multiples of half a wavelength for each center wavelength associated with a selected one of the odd and even set of channels and with integer multiples of a full wavelength for each center wavelength associated with a remaining one of the odd set and the even set. The second filter couples with the first filter to filter the odd and even sets of channels with phase retardations complementary to those experienced by the odd and even set of channels in the first filter. This complementary filtration has the effect of reducing dispersion in the device.
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Citations
34 Claims
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1. An optical device for splitting and combining optical signals, the optical device comprising:
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a first filter for splitting and combining odd and even channels depending on a propagation direction, the first filter exhibiting complementary phase retardations corresponding with odd integer multiples of half a wavelength for each center wavelength associated with a selected one of the odd set of channels and the even set of channels and corresponding with integer multiples of a full wavelength for each center wavelength associated with a remaining one of the odd set and the even set; and
a second filter coupled with the first filter to filter the odd and even sets of channels with phase retardations complementary to those experienced in the first filter. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An optical device for processing optical signals including multiplexed optical communication channels spaced apart in frequency, between a first port communicating odd channels together with even channels and second and third ports communicating odd and even channels respectively, and the optical device comprising:
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a linear polarizer coupled to the first port for linearly polarizing the optical signals;
a first filter with a first free spectral range substantially corresponding with a channel spacing between adjacent odd or even channels, the first filter coupled with the linear polarizer for splitting and combining odd and even channel sets depending on a propagation direction, the first filter operating as a fill waveplate to a selected one of an odd channel set and an even channel set and as a half-waveplate to a remaining one of the odd channel set and the even channel set; and
a second filter optically coupled with the first filter and the second and third ports, the second filter having a second free spectral range substantially corresponding with the channel spacing between adjacent odd or even channels, the second filter coupled with the first filter for optical processing of odd and even channels therewith, with the second filter operating as a half-waveplate to the selected one of the odd channel set and the even channel set and as a full waveplate to the remaining one of the odd channel set and the even channel set. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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16. A method for splitting and combining optical signals, the method comprising:
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subjecting odd and even channel sets to a first set of phase retardations corresponding with odd integer multiples of half a wavelength for each center wavelength associated with a selected one of the odd set of channels and the even set of channels and corresponding with integer multiples of a full wavelength for each center wavelength associated with a remaining one of the odd set of channels and the even set of channels; and
subjecting odd and even channel sets to a second set of phase retardations corresponding with integer multiples of a full wavelength retardation for each center wavelength associated with the selected one of the odd set of channels and the even set of channels and corresponding with odd integer multiples of a half wavelength retardation for each center wavelength associated with the remaining one of the odd set of channels and the even set of channels.
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21. An apparatus for splitting and combining optical signals, the device comprising:
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first means for subjecting odd and even channel sets to a first set of phase retardations corresponding with odd integer multiples of half a wavelength for each center wavelength associated with a selected one of the odd set of channels and the even set of channels and corresponding with integer multiples of a full wavelength for each center wavelength associated with a remaining one of the odd set of channels and the even set of channels; and
second means for subjecting odd and even channel sets to a second set of phase retardations corresponding with integer multiples of a full wavelength retardation for each center wavelength associated with the selected one of the odd set of channels and the even set of channels and corresponding with odd integer multiples of a half wavelength retardation for each center wavelength associated with the remaining one of the odd set of channels and the even set of channels. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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26. An optical device for splitting and combining optical signals with frequency division multiplexed optical communication channels evenly spaced apart in frequency from one another;
- and the optical device comprising;
a first filter for splitting and combining odd and even channels depending on a propagation direction and the first filter exhibiting complementary phase retardations corresponding with odd integer multiples of half a wavelength for each center wavelength associated with a selected one of the odd set of channels and the even set of channels and corresponding with integer multiples of a full wavelength for each center wavelength associated with a remaining one of the odd set and the even set; and
at least a second filter coupled with the first filter to filter the odd set of channels with phase retardations complementary to those experienced by the odd set of channels in the first filter and to filter the even set of channels with phase retardations complementary to those experienced by the even set of channels in the first filter.
- and the optical device comprising;
Specification