Patent ID: 7184622
Filing Date: 2007-02-27
Classification: G02B,G03H

Abstract:
1. An optical apparatus suitable for coupling to an optical network and transmitting and receiving multiplexed optical signals on the optical network, the optical apparatus comprising: an optical waveguide having a plurality of sets of diffractive elements in the form of a scribed volume hologram, the optical waveguide having a first optical input port and a first optical output port corresponding with the first optical input port, the optical waveguide also Including a second optical input port and a second optical output port corresponding with the second optical input port, wherein the first optical output port and the second optical input port are adapted to be optically coupled to the optical network; a photonic generator array having a plurality of photonic generators, wherein each of the photonic generators is adapted to receive a generator input signal at a photonic generator input and generate a corresponding photonic signal at a photonic generator output in response to the generator input signal; wherein the photonic generator outputs of the photonic generator array are directly coupled to the first optical input part, and wherein the photonic signals are incident on a first set of diffractive elements and routed to the first optical output port as a transmitted multiplexed optical signal; and a photonic detector array having a plurality of photonic detectors, wherein each of the photonic detectors is adapted to receive a selected photonic signal at a detector input and to generate a corresponding detector output signal in response to the selected photonic signal; wherein the detector inputs of the photonic detector array are coupled to the second optical output port, and wherein optical signals received at the second optical input port are incident on a second set of diffractive elements and routed to the second optical output port as de-multiplexed optical signals.