International Business Machines Corporation

Tellabs Operations, Inc.

Weyl-Kuo Wang

Karen Liu

Chaoyu Yue

Franklin F Tong

Paul Eliot Green, Jr

Stuart Douglas Brorson

A method and apparatus for constructing an optical wavelength-routing network in which each network node is a dynamic add-drop multiplexer (OADM) with minimized spectral filtering effect on pass-through channels and survivability upon power failure. By using cascaded tunable reflection filters as the building blocks, strictly add-drop non-blocking OADMs for single input/output fibers, double input/output fibers, and 3 input/output fibers can be constructed for application to unidirectional and bidirectional ring networks and mesh networks of arbitrary degree. Methods and apparatus for minimizing various types of out-of-band and in-band crosstalk occurring within the dynamic OADMs are also described.

Dynamic optical add-drop multiplexers and wavelength-routing networks with improved survivability and minimized spectral filtering

Dynamic optical add-drop multiplexers and wavelength-routing networks

A method and apparatus for constructing a modular and easily upgradable optical network node using the technique of wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM). According to the present invention, a WDM point-to-point link end node can be modularly upgraded in the number of wavelength channels or upgraded to a ring network node; both without requiring equipment internal rewiring.

Upgradable modular wavelength division multiplexer

This invention provides methods and apparatus for achieving wavelength sorting multiplexer/demultiplexer and its application to the implementation of planarized dynamic wavelength routing. Using integrated arrayed-waveguide gratings, sorting can be achieved by two configurations. In the first configuration channel wavelengths are properly selected and launched into prearranged input waveguides of an arrayed-waveguide grating such that channels at the same wavelength and from all inputs will be demultiplexed and routed to adjacent outputs. Operated in the reverse direction, the same device becomes a sorting multiplexer. The second configuration achieves wavelength sorting by using the cascade of multiple arrayed-waveguide gratings and can also be operated as a demultiplexer or a multiplexer. Combined with space switches, the wavelength sorting multi/demultiplexer are utilized to implement the planarized channel-selective dynamic wavelength router. The function of wavelength sorting eliminates on-chip waveguide crossings and therefore reduces losses and crosstalks. The sorting demultiplexer and multiplexer can further be implemented with a single arrayed-waveguide grating.

Wavelength sorter and its application to planarized dynamic wavelength

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Stamford, CT, United States of America

Weyl-Kuo Wang