Optical wavelength division multiplexing/demultiplexing system
First Claim
1. A wavelength-division system comprising a radiation transmission planar waveguide provided with a single collimating lens and a single focusing lens and with a periodic radiation transmissive passive diffraction grating incorporating a multiplicity of radiation reflecting elements in spaced array preselected, and of length sufficient for Bragg diffraction to occur at the center wavelength in the material as defined by the following formula:
- ##EQU16## and the length is sufficiently short to permit a large angular scanning range as defined by the following formula ##EQU17## wherein 1is the length of each radiation reflecting elementλ
oc is the center wavelength in the free spacen is the index of refraction of the wave guiding material at λ
ocΛ
is the regular interval of the spaced radiation reflection elements,Δ
θ
3 is the angular scanning rangesaid passive diffraction grating being in demultiplexing service, to separate, via the wavelength-dependent angular dispersion of said diffracting grating, into individual entities an optical signal input constituting a multiplicity of coherent radiation signals of different characteristic wavelenghts transmitted simultaneously via said radiation transmissive planar waveguide and, in multiplexing service, to consolidate, via angular dispersion, a multiplicity of coherent radiation signals from optical sources individually introduced to said transmissive diffraction gating via said radiation transmissive planar waveguide along angular courses substantially coincident with the angular courses taken by individual radiation signals of corresponding wavelengths exiting said transmissive diffraction grating in said demultiplexing service, and means directing said signals to dedicated receptors.
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Abstract
A wavelength division method and system employing a radiation transmissive planar waveguide provided with collimating and focusing lenses and with a periodic radiation transmissive diffraction grating incorporating radiation reflecting elements in spaced array, preselected, in demultiplexing service, to separate into individual entities an optical signal input constituting a multiplicity of coherent radiation signals of different characteristic wavelengths transmitted simultaneously via the waveguide and, in multiplexing service, to consolidate a multiplicity of coherent radiation signals individually introduced to the grating via the waveguide along angular courses substantially coincident with the angular courses taken by individual radiation signals of corresponding wavelengths exiting the grating during demultiplexing service, and means directing the signals to dedicated receptors.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. A wavelength-division system comprising a radiation transmission planar waveguide provided with a single collimating lens and a single focusing lens and with a periodic radiation transmissive passive diffraction grating incorporating a multiplicity of radiation reflecting elements in spaced array preselected, and of length sufficient for Bragg diffraction to occur at the center wavelength in the material as defined by the following formula:
- ##EQU16## and the length is sufficiently short to permit a large angular scanning range as defined by the following formula ##EQU17## wherein 1is the length of each radiation reflecting element
λ
oc is the center wavelength in the free spacen is the index of refraction of the wave guiding material at λ
ocΛ
is the regular interval of the spaced radiation reflection elements,Δ
θ
3 is the angular scanning rangesaid passive diffraction grating being in demultiplexing service, to separate, via the wavelength-dependent angular dispersion of said diffracting grating, into individual entities an optical signal input constituting a multiplicity of coherent radiation signals of different characteristic wavelenghts transmitted simultaneously via said radiation transmissive planar waveguide and, in multiplexing service, to consolidate, via angular dispersion, a multiplicity of coherent radiation signals from optical sources individually introduced to said transmissive diffraction gating via said radiation transmissive planar waveguide along angular courses substantially coincident with the angular courses taken by individual radiation signals of corresponding wavelengths exiting said transmissive diffraction grating in said demultiplexing service, and means directing said signals to dedicated receptors. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
- ##EQU16## and the length is sufficiently short to permit a large angular scanning range as defined by the following formula ##EQU17## wherein 1is the length of each radiation reflecting element
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10. A method of wavelength division for demultiplexing comprising transmitting an optical signal input constituting a multiplicity of coherent radiation signals of different characteristic wavelengths simultaneously via a radiation transmissive planar waveguide through a planar periodic radiation transmissive passive diffraction grating having a multiplicity of radiation reflective elements in preselected space array and of a length sufficient for Bragg diffraction to occur at the center wavelength in the material as defined by the following formula ##EQU18## and the length is sufficiently short to permit a large angular scanning range as defined by the following formula ##EQU19## wherein 1is the length of the radiation reflecting element
λ - oc is the center wavelength in free space
n is the index of refraction of the wave guiding material at λ
ocΛ
is the regular interval of the spaced radiation reflecting elements,Δ
θ
3 is the angular scanning rangesaid passive diffraction grating being to segregate said signals into individual entities via the wavelength-dependent angular dispersion of said diffraction grating, and thereafter routing said signal entities to individual dedicated receptors. - View Dependent Claims (11)
- oc is the center wavelength in free space
Specification