Wavelength division multiplexer/demultiplexer optical device

Claim 2

An optical signal device comprising: a) a substrate; b) a pair of spaced apart cladding layers comprised of a material having a first refractive index value; c) a core layer comprising at least one waveguide positioned between a pair of cladding layers, having a second refractive index value greater than the first refractive index value such that the difference between the second and the first refractive index values enables a multiple wavelength light source to pass through the device in a single mode; and d) a Bragg grating region in each of the cladding layers and core layer which are all comprised of photosensitive materials, forming a filter means for causing a single wavelength of light of said multiple wavelength light source to be segregated therefrom.

Claim 3

The optical signal device of claim 1 wherein the waveguides are applied to the core region by direct photolithography.

Claim 4

A multichannel add/drop optical signal device comprising a cascade of a plurality of Mach-Zehnder optical signal devices of claim 1.

Claim 5

A Mach-Zehnder form of an optical signal device comprising: a) a substrate; b) a pair of spaced apart cladding layers comprised of a material having a first refractive index value; c) a core layer including a pair of opposed waveguides positioned between a pair of cladding layers, having a second refractive index value greater than the first refractive index value such that the difference between the second and the first refractive index values enables a multiple wavelength light source to pass through the device in a single mode, and waveguides being sufficiently close to each other in two essentially--3-dB directional coupling regions; and d) a Bragg grating region in each of the cladding layers and core layer which are all comprised of photosensitive materials, across spaced apart arms at or about the 3-dB coupling level, forming a filter means for causing a single wavelength of light of said multiple wavelength light source to be segregated therefrom.

Claim 6

A Mach-Zehnder form of an optical signal device comprising: a) a substrate; b) a pair of spaced apart cladding layers comprised of a material having a first refractive index value; c) a core layer including a pair of opposed waveguides positioned between a pair of cladding layers, having a second refractive index value greater than the first refractive index value such that the difference between the second and the first refractive index values enables a multiple wavelength light source to pass through the device in a single mode, and waveguides being sufficiently close to each other in two essentially--3-dB directional coupling regions; and d) a Bragg grating region in each of the cladding layers and core layer which are all comprised of photosensitive materials, across spaced apart arms at or about the 3-dB coupling level, forming a filter means for causing a single wavelength of light of said multiple wavelength light source to be segregated therefrom.

Claim 7

A multichannel add/drop optical signal device comprising a cascade of a plurality of Mach-Zehnder optical signal devices of claim 4.

Claim 8

The optical signal device of claim 5 wherein the waveguides are applied to the core region by direct photolithography.

Claim 9

A Mach-Zehnder form of an optical signal device comprising: a) a substrate; b) a pair of spaced apart cladding layers comprised of a material having a first refractive index value; c) a core layer including a pair of opposed waveguides positioned between a pair of cladding layers, having a second refractive index value greater than the first refractive index value such that the difference between the second and the first refractive index values enables a multiple wavelength light source to pass through the device in a single mode, and waveguides being adjacent to each other in two essentially--3-dB directional coupling regions; and d) a Bragg grating region across spaced apart arms at or about the 3-dB coupling level, forming a filter means for causing a single wavelength of light of said multiple wavelength light source to be segregated therefrom.

Claim 10

A Mach-Zehnder form of an optical signal device comprising: a) a substrate; b) a pair of spaced apart cladding layers comprised of a material having a first refractive index value; c) a core layer including a pair of opposed waveguides positioned between a pair of cladding layers, having a second refractive index value greater than the first refractive index value such that the difference between the second and the first refractive index values enables a multiple wavelength light source to pass through the device in a single mode, and waveguides being adjacent to each other in two essentially--3-dB directional coupling regions; and d) a Bragg grating region across spaced apart arms at or about the 3-dB coupling level, forming a filter means for causing a single wavelength of light of said multiple wavelength light source to be segregated therefrom.

Claim 11

The optical signal device of claim 7 wherein each of the cladding layers and core layer is comprised of a photosensitive material, allowing the grating region to be present in all three layers.

Claim 12

The optical signal device of claim 7 wherein the waveguides are applied to the core region by direct photolithography.

Claim 13

A multichannel add/drop optical signal device comprising a cascade of a plurality of Mach-Zehnder optical signal devices of claim 7.

Claim 14

A Mach-Zehnder form of an optical signal device comprising: a) a substrate; b) a pair of spaced apart cladding layers comprised of a material having a first refractive index value; c) a core layer including in series two 2×2 essentially--3-dB MMI couplers positioned between the pair of cladding layers having a second refractive index value greater than the first refractive index value such that the difference between the second and the first refractive index values enables a multiple wavelength light source to pass through the non-MMI part of the device in a single mode; and d) a Bragg grating region forming a filter means for causing a single wavelength of light of said multiple wavelength light source to be segregated therefrom.

Claim 15

A Mach-Zehnder form of an optical signal device comprising: a) a substrate; b) a pair of spaced apart cladding layers comprised of a material having a first refractive index value; c) a core layer including in series two 2×2 essentially--3-dB MMI couplers positioned between the pair of cladding layers having a second refractive index value greater than the first refractive index value such that the difference between the second and the first refractive index values enables a multiple wavelength light source to pass through the non-MMI part of the device in a single mode; and d) a Bragg grating region forming a filter means for causing a single wavelength of light of said multiple wavelength light source to be segregated therefrom.

Claim 16

The optical signal light device of claim 11 wherein each of the cladding layers and core layer is comprised of a photosensitive material, allowing the grating region to be present in all three layers.

Claim 17

The optical signal device of claim 11 wherein the waveguides are applied to the core region by direct photolithography.

Claim 18

The optical signal device of claim 11 wherein the MMI couplers have a uniform rectangular cross-section.

Claim 19

The optical signal device of claim 11 wherein the MMI couplers are tapered, with the opposed ends having a greater cross-sectional area than the central body section.

Claim 20

The optical signal device of claim 11 wherein the waveguides in the central region between the MMI couplers are spaced apart a further distance from each other than he waveguides are spaced apart from each other immediately outside the two MMI couplers.

Claim 21

The optical signal device of claim 11 wherein the waveguides are spaced apart approximately the same distance in both the central region between the MMI couplers and the region immediately outside the two MMI couplers.

Claim 22

A multichannel add/drop optical signal device comprising a cascade of a plurality of Mach-Zehnder optical signal devices of claim 11.

Claim 23

An optical signal device comprising: a) a substrate; b) a pair of spaced apart cladding layers comprised of a material having a first refractive index value; c) a core layer including a pair of opposed waveguides positioned between the pair of cladding layers having second refractive index value greater than the first refractive index value such that the difference between the second and first refractive index values enables a multiple wavelength light source to pas through the device in a single mode; d) a coupling region causing essentially 100% coupling of light between the said two opposed waveguides; and e) a Bragg grating region overlapping with a central section of the coupling region at or about the 3-dB coupling level, said grating region forming a filter means for causing a single wavelength of light of said multiple wavelength light source to be segregated therefrom.

Claim 24

An optical signal device comprising: a) a substrate; b) a pair of spaced apart cladding layers comprised of a material having a first refractive index value; c) a core layer including a pair of opposed waveguides positioned between the pair of cladding layers having second refractive index value greater than the first refractive index value such that the difference between the second and first refractive index values enables a multiple wavelength light source to pas through the device in a single mode; d) a coupling region causing essentially 100% coupling of light between the said two opposed waveguides; and e) a Bragg grating region overlapping with a central section of the coupling region at or about the 3-dB coupling level, said grating region forming a filter means for causing a single wavelength of light of said multiple wavelength light source to be segregated therefrom.

Claim 25

The optical signal device of claim 19 wherein each of the cladding layers and core layer is comprised of a photosensitive material, allowing the grating region to be present in all three layers.

Claim 26

The optical signal device of claim 19 wherein the waveguides are applied to the core region by direct photolithography.

Claim 27

The optical signal device of claim 19 wherein the coupling region comprises an essentially--100% directional coupler.

Claim 28

The optical signal device of claim 22 wherein the waveguides in the coupling region are adjacent to each other.

Claim 29

The optical signal device of claim 19 wherein the coupling region comprises an essentially--100% MMI coupler.

Claim 30

The optical signal device of claim 24 wherein the MMI coupler has a uniform rectangular cross-section.

Claim 31

The optical signal device of claim 24 wherein the MMI coupler is tapered, with the opposed ends having a greater cross-sectional area than the central body section.

Claim 32

A multichannel add/drop optical signal device comprising a cascade of a plurality of Mach-Zehnder optical signal devices of claim 19.