Voltage-controllable wavelength-selective optical switching based on multiply cascaded long-period fiber gratings

Abstract

A novel wavelength-selective optical switching device based on multiply cascaded long-period fiber gratings is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. The on and off states of each channel in the optical switching device can be effectively switched by voltage-controllable coil heaters. The device has advantages of multichannel operation, multiwavelength selectivity, and bandwidth controllability. It can be useful for applications in multiwavelength operational signal gating, optical switching devices, routers, and multiplexers in optical communication systems. (C) 2003 Optical Society of America.