Abstract
The current surge of interest in wavelength-division-multiplexed (WDM) networks is fueled, in part, by the rapid evolution of integrated-optic WDM technology. One important component for wavelength-routed networks1 is the acoustooptic switch, which directs various nearby-spaced WDM channels, simultaneously and independently, to either of two ports. The classical acousto-optic filter response exhibits prominent sidelobes, which are the source of interchannel and interport cross talk among dense-packed WDM channels. Recently, several groups have successfully demonstrated significant sidelobe suppression by a range of techniques that apodize the acoustooptic interaction strength.2-5 The apodization scheme based on the surface-acoustic-wave (SAW) coupler2,3 places the active optical waveguide (which performs wavelength selection by a narrow-band polarization conversion) inside the remote arm of a SAW coupler, so that the SAW energy gradually builds up in the active region and then gradually departs, providing the smooth interaction profile required for apodization.
© 1994 Optical Society of America
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