Patent · US Expired

Optical interferometer for demultiplexing an optical signal

US6621632B2 · kind B2 · utility

12Cited by
5References
100Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateApr 23, 2001
Grant dateSep 16, 2003
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 23, 2021

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG02B6/29395
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An apparatus for processing an optical signal includes a tunable optical element and a reflective element. The tunable optical element receives an input signal at an incidence angle and separates the input signal into a first beam having a first optical path length and a second beam having a second optical path length. The difference between the first optical path length and the second optical path length is based at least in part upon the incidence angle of the input signal. The reflective element reflects the first beam and the second beam such that the first beam interferes with the second beam to produce a first output signal and a second output signal. The first output signal comprises a first subset of wavelength channels from the input signal and the second output signal comprises a second subset of wavelength channels from the input signal.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.