Patent ID: 7085438

Claim:
An optical multi/demultiplexing circuit with a phase generating function, where the optical multi/demultiplexing circuit multi/demultiplexes a plurality of optical signals in a whole passband, the whole passband being configured with a plurality of passbands, the plurality of passbands being arranged on a wavelength-domain grid or an optical frequency-domain grid, centers of each of the plurality of passbands being located on the wavelength-domain grid or the optical frequency-domain grid, the optical multi/demultiplexing circuit comprising: one or more optical multi/demultiplexing devices including at least one input section and a plurality of output sections; and at least one optical delay line device interposed between each of the optical multi/demultiplexing devices, at least one of the optical multi/demultiplexing devices or the optical delay line devices including a phase generating device wherein the phase generating device generates a wavelength-dependent or optical frequency-dependent phase Φ with respect to a wavelength or optical frequency of light over the whole passband of the optical multi/demultiplexing circuit, the phase Φ setting a wavelength period between the centers of the adjacent passbands which are located on the wavelength-domain grid or setting an optical frequency period between the centers of the adjacent passbands which are located on the optical frequency-domain grid, respectively.