Patent ID: 6111674
Filing Date: 2000-08-29
Classification: G02B,G02F,H04J

Abstract:
Apparatus for routing optical signals according to their wavelength comprising:a single pathway that conveys a plurality of different wavelength signals each having a given amount of energy distributed throughout a mode field;multiple pathways that separately convey the different wavelength signals;an optical path length difference generator having a plurality of different length intermediate pathways for coupling said single and multiple pathways; andsaid optical path length generator including a compound beamsplitter that:(a) diverts a portion of the energy from multiple locations in the mode field of each of the different wavelength signals along one of the different length intermediate pathways,(b) diverts a portion of the remaining energy from multiple locations in the mode field of each of the different wavelength signals along another of the different length intermediate pathways, and(c) continues to divert succeeding portions of a remaining energy from multiple locations in the mode field of each of the different wavelength signals along other of the different length intermediate pathways until substantially all of the energy of each of the different wavelength signals is successively diverted along the other different length intermediate pathways.