A simple wide wavelength division multi/demultiplexer consisting of optical elements

Abstract

We experimentally demonstrated a simple WWDM multi/demultiplexer compatible with MT connector and a single-mode fiber array. The photonic circuit is based on a stack of dielectric interference filters and off-axis diffractive optical elements. The reported devices have the following advantages: Devices can be mass-produced at low cost by dicing the stacked dielectric filter and lens. The stringent alignment among wafers is not necessary since the propagating beams are collimated. The photonic circuit is small enough to be directly aligned and attached against a conventional single-mode fiber array with an NIT connector. Experimental results confirmed low insertion loss demonstrating the potential of the proposed optical system for WWDM applications. We're currently working on the cross-talk improvement that may be caused by the limited extinction ratio of stacked dielectric filters. The proposed technology is attractive in new optoelectronic packaging technologies at an intra-cabinet level with the transmission throughput of more than Tbps.