Patent ID: 7454143
Filing Date: 2008-11-18
Classification: G02B,H04J

Abstract:
1. A reconfigurable thin-film-based dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) device, comprising: a dual fiber collimator having an input port for receiving an input optical signal and a reflection output port; a single fiber collimator having a transmission output port; and a thin film filter located between the dual fiber collimator and the single fiber collimator, the thin film filter having a first face and a second face, the first face of the thin film filter having an upper one-half and a lower one-half, the upper one-half of the first face of the thin film having a thin film coating that allows a specific wavelength of the input optical signal to pass through and the lower one-half of the first face in the thin film filter being coated with a reflective material that reflects the input optical signal, wherein the reflective coating has a thickness that is an integer multiple of the specific wavelength of the input optical signal, divided by sin(θ), wherein the angle θ is equal to an incident angle between the input optical signal and the thin film filter, and wherein the thin film filter is movable between a pass-through state, a transient state and a blocking state along a single axis, whereby in the transient state a portion of the optical signal projects on the thin film coating and another portion of the optical signal projects on the reflective material.