WAVELENGTH MULTIPLEXING/DEMULTIPLEXING UNIT, WAVELENGTH MULTIPLEXING/DEMULTIPLEXING APPARATUS AND WAVELENGTH MULTIPLEXING/DEMULTIPLEXING METHOD

摘要

An optical multiplexing/demultiplexing apparatusin which a plurality of optical multiplexing/demultiplexing units which are different from oneanother in operating wavelength band are connectedhierarchically. Each of the optical multiplexing/demultiplexing units comprises an input waveguide forreceiving a wavelength multiplexed optical waves, afilter for separating the wavelength multiplexedoptical wave from the input waveguide into a firstoptical wave in the corresponding operating wavelengthband and a second optical wave in the other wavelengthbands, an AWG optical multiplexer/demultiplexer forseparating the first optical wave from the filter intoindividual optical waves each of a single wavelength,and a branch waveguide for directing the second opticalwaves from the filter to the input waveguide of asucceeding optical multiplexing/demultiplexing unit.