MULTICHANNEL WAVELENGTH-SWITCHED TRANSMITTERS AND RECEIVERS NEW COMPONENT CONCEPTS FOR BROAD-BAND NETWORKS AND DISTRIBUTED SWITCHING SYSTEMS

Three new component concepts are described for use in high-density wavelength division-multiplexed (HDWDM) optical systems. The applications envisaged for these components include broadband overlay for subscriber access networks and ultrahigh-capacity packet switching for telecommunications or parallel processing computer applications. The components each use a dispersive optical grating and integrated array of optoelectronic transducers to form a component with precisely defined multiple operating wavelength channels. Multichannel laser transmitter and direct detection receiver components are described suitable for up to about SO independent channels separated by 1-2 nm in the 1300- to 1600-nm-wavelength range. Recent experimental results and future predicted performance are such that these components should be considered an important step in the evolution toward fully coherent multichannel systems. © 1990, IEEE