Abstract: An optical add/drop filter (OADF) module is provided that is capable of only utilizing one filter to drop and add multiple channels from a multiplexed signal. In one embodiment, a demultiplexer separates the input signal into groups of signals or channels to be dropped. This group of channels is coupled to one input of a 2×2 interleaving OADF, which in one embodiment is an unbalanced Mach-Zehnder Interferometer, while another group of channels to be added back to the multiplexed signal is coupled to the other input. One output of the OADF drops one group of channels, while the other output transmits the added group of channels to an input of a multiplexer, which combines the group of added channels with the other groups of channels from the outputs of the demultiplexer. In another embodiment, a multi-window filter formed from an unbalanced Michelson Interferometer outputs two signals, each having either odd or even wavelength signal components.

Abstract: A wavelength division multiplexer (WDM) utilizes cascaded interferometric devices, where the two output branches of interferometric devices in each new stage are each coupled to an additional stage of interferometric devices having the same wavelength separation or channel spacing, which suppresses the sidelobes of the signals from preceding stage of interferometric devices. In one embodiment, the interferometric devices are unbalanced Mach-Zehnder Interferometers.