Advanced Bragg grating filters for DWDM applications

Abstract

The advent of the technology of Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) in Optical Fiber Networks (OFNs) has resulted in the necessity of developing advanced Optical Add/Drop Multiplexers (OADMs) on the basis of submicron Bragg gratings. The OADMs for dense multichannel OFNs with bit rates 10 – 40 Gbits/s per channel and channel spacing 200, 100 and 50 GHz must possess rectangular-shaped reflection/transmission spectra and linear phase characteristic within the stop/passband. These features can not be achieved with uniform periodic Bragg gratings and therefore nonuniform gratings with space-modulated coupling coefficient should be used. We present the recent advances in the design and fabrication of narrowband wavelength-selective optical filters for DWDM applications on the basis of single-mode fibers with side-polishing and periodic relief Bragg gratings with apodized coupling coefficient. The peculiarities of propagation, interaction and diffraction of electromagnetic waves in nonuniform Bragg grating structures are considered. Narrowband reflection filters based on side-polished fibers and submicron relief gratings on SiO2 and SiO materials are designed and fabricated. The filters have stopband width 0.4 – 0.8 nm and peak reflectivity R > 98% in the 1.55 ?m wavelength communication region. Narrowband flat-top reflection filters for DWDM applications based on side-polished fibers and periodic relief Bragg gratings are designed. The schemes for multichannel integration of Bragg grating filters into OFNs are presented.