2-D wavelength demultiplexer with potential for >/= 1000 channels in the C-band

Abstract

We demonstrate a 2-D wavelength demultiplexer by using a (3)virtually imaged phased array (VIPA) and a diffraction grating in bulk optics, which yields a hyperfine channel spacing 5 GHz (40 pm) with 1.75 GHz (14 pm) -3dB bandwidth, >20dB channel isolations, and a very large free spectral range. The 2-D wavelength demultiplexer is capable of having a very large number ((3)1000) of hyperfine channels in the C-band (1530 - 1570 nm). We also present the first analytic theory for the 2-D demultiplexer.