Patent ID: 6904203

Claim:
A flat-top optical multiplexing device comprising: an input port for receiving an optical signal; a first wavelength dispersive element having a first linear dispersion characteristic for separating a multiplexed optical signal into a plurality of optical signals having a first spatial separation, each of said optical signals corresponding to a predetermined wavelength channel, said first wavelength dispersive element in optical communication with the input port; and, an at least an optical element for reflecting said at least one of said optical signals; and, a second wavelength dispersive element having a linear dispersion characteristic substantially equivalent to that of the first wavelength dispersive element for receiving the reflected optical signals from the at least an optical element, the received reflected optical signals having a second spatial separation substantially different than the first spatial separation, wavelength multiplexing the reflected optical signals to provide a multiplexed reflected optical signal and providing the multiplexed reflected optical signal, and at least an output port optically coupled to said second wavelength dispersive element, the output port for propagating the multiplexed reflected optical signal.