ULTRAHIGH -47-DB OPTICAL DROP REJECTION MULTIWAVELENGTH ADD-DROP FILTER USING SPATIAL-FILTERING AND DUAL BULK ACOUSTOOPTIC TUNABLE FILTERS

A new high-speed, ultrahigh cross-talk-suppression multiwavelength add -drop optical filter structure is demonstrated with two bulk acousto-o ptic tunable filters. With simple spatial blocks, an average -47-dB op tical suppression is measured for the unwanted wavelengths at the filt er output ports. The filter is tested for the three standard visible w avelengths, red, green, and blue, and demonstrates a switching time of 0.65 mu s and an average optical loss of 5 dB. Applications for this filter include multiwavelength switching applications such as waveleng th-division-multiplexed optical communications. (C) 1998 Optical Socie ty of America.