Patent ID: 6349158
Filing Date: 2002-02-19
Classification: G02B,H04J

Abstract:
A system for processing light, the system comprising:an (N+1)-stage fiber optic cascade structure, numbered n=0, 1, 2, . . . , N with N&gE;5, with stage 0 being a light input channel, with stage number nâ€² (1&lE;nâ€²&lE;N) having a wavelength discrimination mechanism including a Mach-Zehnder interferometer, referred to as an â€œMZIâ€ , and having 2n fiber optic channels, with each channel in each stage nâ€² being connected to two channels in stage nâ€³+1 (nâ€³=1, 2, . . . , Nâˆ’1) through an MZI in stage nâ€³+1; and wherein, in each of first, second and third selected stages, numbered n=n1, n=n2 and n=n3, with 0&lE;n1