Tunable thin film filters for intelligent WDM networks

Michael Cahill; Glenn Bartolini; Mark Lourie; Lawrence Domash

doi:10.1117/12.678329

28 August 2006 Tunable thin film filters for intelligent WDM networks

Michael Cahill, Glenn Bartolini, Mark Lourie, Lawrence Domash

Proceedings Volume 6286, Advances in Thin-Film Coatings for Optical Applications III; 62860F (2006) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.678329
Event: SPIE Optics + Photonics, 2006, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

Optical transmission systems have evolved rapidly in recent years with the emergence of new technologies for gain management, wavelength multiplexing, tunability, and switching. WDM networks are increasingly expected to be agile, flexible, and reconfigurable which in turn has led to a need for monitoring to be more widely distributed within the network. Automation of many actions performed on these networks, such as channel provisioning and power balancing, can only be realized by the addition of optical channel monitors (OCMs). These devices provide information about the optical transmission system including the number of optical channels, channel identification, wavelength, power, and in some cases optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR). Until recently OCMs were costly and bulky and thus the number of OCMs used in optical networks was often kept to a minimum. We describe a family of tunable thin film filters which have greatly reduced the cost and physical footprint of channel monitors, making possible 'monitoring everywhere' for intelligent optical networks which can serve long haul, metro and access requirements from a single technology platform. As examples of specific applications we discuss network issues such as auto provisioning, wavelength collision avoidance, power balancing, OSNR balancing, gain equalization, alien wavelength recognition, interoperability, and other requirements assigned to the emerging concept of an Optical Control Plane.

Citation Download Citation

Michael Cahill, Glenn Bartolini, Mark Lourie, and Lawrence Domash "Tunable thin film filters for intelligent WDM networks", Proc. SPIE 6286, Advances in Thin-Film Coatings for Optical Applications III, 62860F (28 August 2006); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.678329

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