Crosstalk caused by nonideal output filters in WDM lightwave systems

Crosstalk mechanisms due to imperfections of the output demultiplexer in a 1550-nm wavelength-division multiplexed system are explored for the cable t elevision frequency range of 50-800 MHz. Analytic and experimental results show significant crosstalk caused by the output demultiplexer: transmission slope following cross-phase modulation in the fiber, polarization-dependen t loss following nonlinear polarization rotation in the fiber, and imperfec t channel isolation. The crosstalk mechanism of transmission slope followin g cross-phase modulation is newly identified here.