| 摘要 |
A reconfigurable add/drop multiplexer (100, 150) for use in an optical communications network includes an input optical waveguide (118, 162) propagating a multi-channel optical signal and a receiver optical waveguide (120, 170) optically aligned with the input waveguide. A transmission filter (106, 164) is in optical communication between the input optical waveguide and the receiver optical waveguide (120, 170) with the transmission filter being tunable to drop a select channel to the receiver optical waveguide (120, 170) and to reflect the remaining channels of the multi-channel optical signal. A retransmission waveguide (118, 162) is in optical communication with the transmission filter to receive the reflected remaining channels. A second receiver waveguide (130, 174) is in optical communication with the receiver waveguide (120, 170). A selectively reflective apparatus (108, 168) is in optical communication between the receiver optical waveguide and the second receiver optical waveguide for selectively reflecting the dropped channel or transmitting the dropped channel to the second receiver waveguide. A second retransmission waveguide (130, 182) in optical communication with the selectively reflective means receives a reflected optical signal. A method of dropping a select channel of a multi-channel optical signal propagated along a main optical waveguide without loss of data includes directing the multi-channel optical signal from the main optical waveguide to an input waveguide. The receiver waveguide is optically aligned with the input waveguide. A tunable transmission filter is provided in optical communication between the input and receiver waveguides. The transmission filter is tuned to drop a select channel to the receiver optical waveguide and to reflect the remaining channels of the multi-channel optical signal to a retransmission optical waveguide in optical communication with the main optical fiber. All dropped channels are reflected for repropagation along the main optical waveguide while the tunable transmission filter is tuned between first and second select channels. The transmission filter (106, 164) may be a wedged-etalon having a cavity that varies uniformly in width between a widest operative end and a narrowest operative end along a filtering axis in optical communication between the input and receiver waveguides. An actuator (107) moves the wedged-etalon out to select positions between the widest and narrowest operative ends to drop a select channel.
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