OPTICAL WAVELENGTH ADD/DROP MULTIPLEXER FOR DUAL SIGNAL TRANSMISSION RATES

摘要

An optical wavelength add/drop multiplexer (WADM) is configured to aced or drop two or more signals each associated with one of a plurality of channels in a wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) signal. The WADM comprises an optical circulator that is optically coupled at one port to two or more serially interconnected fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs), and is optically coupled at another port to a thin film filter including two or more serially interconnected thi n film filter elements. Each of the two or more FBGs is matched with a thin film filter element, both arranged to be responsive to signals associated with one of th e plurality of channels. Bandwidth and dispersion properties for the FBGs are selected to permit operation of the WADM at two distinct signal data rates. To equalize associated insertion losses in embodiments of the invention arrange d to add or drop two or more signals, the FBGs are matched to the thin film fitter elements in inverse order with respect to their optical distance from the optical circulator.