A Robust Miniature, Multi-function, Dense WDM Demultiplexer/Receiver

This effort may be viewed as attempting to find the lowest technology, and thus, first commercializable use of meso-optics devices. These devices exploit wavelength-scale complex geometries and precision fabrication techniques to achieve their functionality. One of the conceptually simplest and most powerful devices is a high-resolution WDM demultiplexer. This proposal intends to extend research results in several ways of special benefit to a commercial device, and add a new active processing capability not yet demonstrated. In addition to its guided-wave, physically robust implementation and miniature chip-scale size, other potential advantages for optical communication systems are:-easy integration with conventional electronics on the same substrate -nanosecond tuning -low insertion loss -transparency to unselected wavelengths conserving optical power and facilitating simplified network architectures The proposal seeks to identify and begin development of techniques to enable: -low cost manufacture -integration into a highly-functional WDM receiver with minimal technological new development Because Eagle Optoelectronics holds the patent on a WDM receiver design that can make optimal use of such a meso optic demultiplexer, and because the initial developers of the research devices are also partners, this effort is well positioned to achieve success.