BIDIRECTIONAL OPTICAL WAVELENGTH MULTIPLEXER AND DEMULTIPLEXER

摘要

(57) A bidirectional optical wavelength multiplexer/divider for simultaneously multiplexing and dividing light is characterized in that an array of light waveguides includes a center waveguide provided on the bounda ry face between the array and a planar waveguide region at a position where light coming from a light waveguide array grid and incident o n the planar waveguide region is focused, and light multiplexed into wavelengths through the center waveguide is inputted or outputted. In addition to the light waveguides, the center waveguide where multiplexed light is inputted or outputted is provided at such a position th at the spectra outputted from the light waveguides are not influenced, and therefore division and multiplexing of light wavelength are simultaneously possible in the direction from one array of light waveguides to the other and in the opposite direction.