WAVELENGTH MULTIPLEXING/DEMULTIPLEXING UNIT, WAVELENGTH MULTIPLEXING/DEMULTIPLEXING APPARATUS AND WAVELENGTH MULTIPLEXING/DEMULTIPLEXINGMETHOD

摘要

An optical multiplexing/demultiplexing apparatus in which a plurality of optical multiplexing/ demultiplexing units which are different from one another in operating wavelength band are connected hierarchically. Each of the optical multiplexing/ demultiplexing units comprises an input waveguide for receiving a wavelength multiplexed optical waves, a filter for separating the wavelength multiplexed optical wave from the input waveguide into a first optical wave in the corresponding operating wavelength band and a second optical wave in the other wavelength bands, an AWG optical multiplexer/demultiplexer for separating the first optical wave from the filter into individual optical waves each of a single wavelength, and a branch waveguide for directing the second optical waves from the filter to the input waveguide of a succeeding optical multiplexing/demultiplexing unit.