High-channel-density broadband wavelength division multiplexers based on periodic grating structures

High Channel density broadband wavelength division multiplexers (WDMs) based on periodic grating structures are discussed. These so-called single-window WDMs transmit a large number (> 100) of independent wavelength channels through a single fiber and within a single fiber communications window in both singlemode and multimode fiber cases. In this paper, single-grating WDMs are analyzed in the context of the fundamental relation between channel density, crosstalk, power budget, and diffraction limited beam propagation. Also, the practical aspects of WDM-based fiber optic networks for high-speed (broadband) multimedia communication are discussed.