Patent ID: 8538262

Claim:
A Wavelength Division Multiplexed Passive Optical Network (WDM-PON) comprising: a plurality of broadband light sources each for a respective channel of the WDM-PON, each broadband light source being connected to receive a respective data signal and to generate a corresponding modulated broadband optical signal; and an Array Waveguide Grating (AWG) for receiving each modulated broadband optical signal through a respective one of a plurality of branch ports and for providing a filtered broadband signal based on the received modulated broadband optical signals, the AWG having a filter function that includes a plurality of pass-bands with each respective pass-band associated with a separate one of the plurality of branch ports such that the filtered broadband signal exhibits a respective intensity peak associated with each of the plurality of pass-bands, and wherein each respective pass-band separately includes a center wavelength and a filter channel bandwidth to form the respective intensity peak at each channel wavelength, and the AWG provides the filtered broadband signal having a plurality of intensity peaks modulated with data from the plurality of broadband light sources; wherein a width of a bandwidth of the respective modulated broadband optical signal generated by each of the plurality of broadband light sources is equal to or greater than a width of a channel-band of the WDM-PON.