WDM Multiplexers, Demultiplexers

and Filters

EE 233
Fall 2002

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 Introduction
 Filter and multiplexer

 Types of multiplexer
 Diffraction (Gratings)
 Optical interference (Thin Film Filters)
 Directional couple (AWG)
 Fiber Bragg grating

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 Market Forecast (2/00)

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 Thin Film Filters

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 Characteristics of Filter
 Insertion loss
 Polarization dependent
loss
 Temperature
dependence
 Flab passband &
sharp skirt
 Crosstalk
 Cost

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 Diffraction Gratings Filter
 Grating Equation

a(sin θ + sin φ m) = mλ

 Grating Profiles

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 Diffraction Grating MUX

 Simultaneous diffraction of all wavelength, thus possible to

construct simple device with large number of channels
 Bandpass characteristics depend on dimension of input and
output fibers
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 Si Waveguide

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 Array Waveguide Router

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 Basic Operation

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 Crosstalk

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 Fiber Bragg Gratings
 Single mode fiber constructed by varying
reflective index periodically of core lengthwise
along the fiber
 Bragg phase-matching equation
2π
| β0 − β1 |=
Λ
2π
| β 0 − (− β 0) |= 2 β =
Λ
2π
where β= n
Λ
0
eff

λ 0 = 2neffΛ

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 Grating Reflection

Multiple
Distributed
Scattering

Equivalent to

Two opposite-
travelling waves

B( z )
Local Reflection Coefficient r ( z) =
A( z )

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 Tailoring Filter Spectral Profile

 Grating Parameters
 Grating period
 Grating length
 Modulation depth
 RI contrast profile

 Grating types
 Uniform
 Apodized
 Chirped

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 Fiber Bragg Gratings
 Formed by exposing the core of an optical fiber to
a periodic W intensity pattern.
Main types of fiber Bragg grating.

The side lobes on the

uniform grating are due to
the flat-top index modulation
envelope can be
suppressed by apodisation.

Chirped gratings can be

used for dispersion
compensation.

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 Fabrication of Bragg Gratings

 Mechanism
 Use of photosensitivity of Si fiber doped
with Ge
 Breaking Ge-Ge bond
 Require only 10-4 change in index

UV Interference
Phase Mask

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 Fiber Grating Fabrication
 The W writing beam (100mW cw at 244nm) is steadily scanned across a zero-
order nulled phase mask, while the fiber is slowly moved relative to the mask
causing a gradual phase shift to be added to the fiber grating being written.
 For uniform motion, this results in a simple shift of the Bragg wavelength. If λ0
is the unshifted Bragg wavelength it is easy to show that the wavelength shift
is given by δλ= λ0 Vf / Vsc (Vf<Vsc).

Cole et al, Electr. Lett., 31, pp.1488-9, 1995.

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 Uniform vs. Apodized
 The reflection and time delay characteristics of a
few cm uniform and apodised gratings.

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 Broadband Chirped Grating
 3.5nm bandwidth
 500ps/nm Dispersion
corresponding to the
dispersion of ~30km
of standard fiber.

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 Temperature and Strain Effects
 Can be used to tune the Bragg grating

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 Characteristic of Bragg Gratings
 Extremely low loss (0.1 dB)
 Polarization insensitivity
 High wavelength accuracy (+- 0.05 nm easily
achieved)
 High adjacent crosstalk suppression (40 dB)
 Flat tops
 Low cost (no fiber pigtails)
 Temperature coefficient (~1.25 x 10-2 nm/C)
 Temperature compensation by packaging (0.07 x 10-2
nm/C)

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 Applications
Amplifiers Lasers
 Spectral gain shaping  Modelocked semiconductor
 Automatic gain control lasers
 Pump recycling  High power Raman lasers
 Pump wavelength  Narrow linewidth,
stabilization wavelength stabilized
semiconductor lasers
 Raman amplifiers
 DFB fiber lasers
 Multi-wavelength fiber lasers
 Sensors

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 Laser Wavelength Stabilization
 In this case the grating is the wavelength
selective feedback element for a laser diode (Loh
et al, Appl. Phys. Letts., '95). Further, mode-
hopping is eliminated by a loss grating created by
spatial hole-burning in the intra cavity erbium-
doped fiber. Line widths less than 1kHz have
been obtained.

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 Sampled Bragg Grating
 By periodically sampling gratings as indicated (Ouellette et
al, Electr. Lett., 31, pp. 899-901, 1995) multi wavelength
devices for WDM applications can be made.

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 Broadly Tunable Fiber Laser
 Use two sampled gratings with slightly different sampling
periods and thus wavelength periods.
 Employing the vernier effect between the two gratings a
slight strain and thus wavelength tuning of one grating can
give a large shift in output wavelength of the laser.

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 Bi-directional Add/Drop MUX
 Good filtering shape and sufficiently suppress RIN caused
by Rayleigh backscattering and optical reflection

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 Comparisons

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