Optical wavelength filter and demultiplexer

Abstract

A low-loss, high-efficiency optical demultiplexer has a plurality of first optical devices and a plurality of second optical devices serially connected among the first optical devices. Each first optical device has first, second and third ports, receives an input optical signal via the first port, directs the input optical signal to the second port, and directs an optical signal returning via the second port only to the third port. Each second optical device has fourth and fifth ports connected between the first port of a corresponding first optical device and the second port of another corresponding first optical device, reflects only an optical signal having a corresponding wavelength component in the optical signal received via the fourth port, and passes an optical signal having the other wavelength components to the fifth port. In the second optical devices, different wavelength components of an optical signal received via the fourth port are reflected. In addition, optical signals having respective wavelength components reflected from the second optical devices are received in the first optical device via the second port thereof, and output from the first optical device via the third port thereof. In the present invention, power loss of a divided optical signal is far less than in a conventional 1×n coupler method.