Wavelength tunable demultiplexing filter device, wavelength tunable multiplexing filter device, and wavelength routing device

Abstract

Filter chips, each of which has a wavelength characteristic corresponding to each wavelength component of wavelength-multiplexed light, are mounted on a transparent substrate to make an optical filter element. When wavelength-multiplexed light is inputted into the optical filter element via an optical fiber, the transmission and reflection characteristics vary depending upon a filter chip which the light enters. Therefore, the input position of the light to the optical filter element is changed by in the direction of the arranged filter chips, so that different selection characteristics can be obtained.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A wavelength demultiplexing filter device which demultiplexes arbitrary wavelength components from wavelength-multiplexed light, comprising: 
 an optical filter element which has a plurality of arranged filter chips which transmit at least one of wavelength components of the wavelength-multiplexed light;    a light emitting unit which emits the wavelength-multiplexed light into said optical filter element from a specific direction;    a first light receiving unit which is located on the same optical axis as said light emitting unit and receives the light transmitted through said optical filter element;    a moving unit which moves said optical filter element in a direction of said arranged filter chips so that the light from said light emitting unit enters different filter chips; and    a controller which controls said moving unit in accordance with wavelength to be demultiplexed.    
     
     
         2 . A wavelength tunable demultiplexing filter device according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 said each filter chip on said optical filter element transmits a plurality wavelength components of said wavelength-multiplexed light.    
     
     
         3 . A wavelength tunable demultiplexing filter device according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a second light receiving unit which receives the light reflected at said optical filter element.    
     
     
         4 . A wavelength tunable demultiplexing filter device according to  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 a second light receiving unit which receives the light reflected at said optical filter element.    
     
     
         5 . A wavelength tunable demultiplexing filter device according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 said optical filter element has a reflective surface with which each of said filter chips partially contacts; and    said moving unit moves said optical filter element in a first direction of the arranged filter chips and in a second direction having vertical component to said first direction to let said wavelength-multiplexed light input to said reflective surface of said optical filter element.    
     
     
         6 . A wavelength tunable demultiplexing filter device according to  claim 2 , wherein 
 said optical filter element has a reflective surface with which each of said filter chips partially contacts; and    said moving unit moves said optical filter element in a first direction of the arranged filter chips and in a second direction having vertical component to said first direction to let said wavelength-multiplexed light input to said reflective surface of said optical filter element.    
     
     
         7 . A wavelength tunable demultiplexing filter device according to  claim 3 , wherein 
 said optical filter element has a reflective surface with which each of said filter chips partially contacts; and    said moving unit moves said optical filter element in a first direction of the arranged filter chips and in a second direction having vertical component to said first direction to let said wavelength-multiplexed light input to said reflective surface of said optical filter element.    
     
     
         8 . A wavelength tunable demultiplexing filter device according to  claim 4 , wherein 
 said optical filter element has a reflective surface with which each of said filter chips partially contacts; and    said moving unit moves said optical filter element in a first direction of the arranged filter chips and in a second direction having vertical component to said first direction to let said wavelength-multiplexed light input to said reflective surface of said optical filter element.    
     
     
         9 . A wavelength tunable demultiplexing filter device according to  claim 3 , wherein 
 said optical filter element is structured on a transparent substrate having horizontal first and second surfaces; said first surface on which said filter chips are mounted has a reflective area partially contacting with each of said filter chips; and said second surface opposite to said first surface has another reflective area;    said moving unit moves said optical filter element to a first position to let said wavelength multiplexed light input into one of said filter chips and reflect the resulting reflected light on said second surface and to a second position to reflect the input light on said first and second surfaces, in a first direction of said arranged filter chips and in a second direction having vertical component to said first direction.    
     
     
         10 . A wavelength tunable demultiplexing filter device according to  claim 4 , wherein 
 said optical filter element is structured on a transparent substrate having horizontal first and second surfaces; said first surface on which said filter chips are mounted has a reflective area partially contacting with each of said filter chips; and    said second surface opposite to said first surface has another reflective area;    said moving unit moves said optical filter element to a first position to let said wavelength multiplexed light input into one of said filter chips and reflect the resulting reflected light on said second surface and to a second position to reflect the input light on said first and second surfaces, in a first direction of said arranged filter chips and in a second direction having vertical component to said first direction.    
     
     
         11 . A wavelength tunable demultiplexing filter device according to  claim 3 , further comprising: 
 reflecting units which reflect said wavelength-multiplexed light emitted by said light emitting unit and the light obtained through said optical filter element toward said first and second light receiving units;    wherein said moving unit moves said reflecting units in a first direction of optical axes of said light emitting unit and said first and second light receiving units and in a second direction having vertical component to said first direction.    
     
     
         12 . A wavelength tunable demultiplexing filter device according to  claim 4 , further comprising: 
 reflecting units which reflect said wavelength-multiplexed light emitted by said light emitting unit and the light obtained through said optical filter element toward said first and second light receiving units;    wherein said moving unit moves said reflecting units in a first direction of optical axes of said light emitting unit and said first and second light receiving units and in a second direction having vertical component to said first direction.    
     
     
         13 . A wavelength tunable demultiplexing filter device according to  claim 9 , further comprising: 
 reflecting units which reflect said wavelength-multiplexed light emitted by said light emitting unit and the light obtained through said optical filter element toward said first and second light receiving units;    wherein said moving unit moves said reflecting units in a first direction of optical axes of said light emitting unit and said first and second light receiving units and in a second direction having vertical component to said first direction.    
     
     
         14 . A wavelength tunable demultiplexing filter device according to  claim 10 , further comprising: 
 reflecting units which reflect said wavelength-multiplexed light emitted by said light emitting unit and the light obtained through said optical filter element toward said first and second light receiving units;    wherein said moving unit moves said reflecting units in a first direction of optical axes of said light emitting unit and said first and second light receiving units and in a second direction having vertical component to said first direction.    
     
     
         15 . A wavelength tunable multiplexing filter device which multiplexes wavelength-multiplexed light from which arbitrary wavelength components have been filtered, with the filtered wavelength components, comprising: 
 an optical filter element which has a plurality of arranged filter chips which transmit at least one of wavelength components of said wavelength-multiplexed light;    a first light emitting unit which emits light having arbitrary wavelength components of said wavelength-multiplexed light into said optical filter element from a specific direction;    a second light emitting unit which emits wavelength-multiplexed light excluding the wavelength components emitted by said first light emitting unit, into a position of said optical filter element, where the transmitted component of said first light emitting unit through said optical filter element is outputted, so that light reflected by said filter chip overlaps with said transmitted component of the light from said first light emitting unit;    a light receiving unit which is located on the same optical axis as said first light emitting unit and receives the light outputted through said optical filter element and the light reflected from said second light emitting unit;    a moving unit which moves said optical filter element in a direction of said arranged filter chips to input the light from said first and second light emitting units into different filter chips; and    a controller which controls said moving unit in accordance with wavelengths to be multiplexed.    
     
     
         16 . A wavelength tunable multiplexing filter device according to  claim 15 , wherein 
 said filter chips on said optical filter element transmit a plurality of wavelength components of said wavelength-multiplexed light.    
     
     
         17 . A wavelength tunable multiplexing filter device according to  claim 15 , wherein 
 said optical filter element has a reflective surface with which each of said filter chips partially contacts, and    said moving unit moves said optical filter element in a first direction of the arranged filter chips and in a second direction having vertical component to said first direction to let said lights emitted from said first and second light emitting units input to said reflective surface of said optical filter element.    
     
     
         18 . A wavelength tunable multiplexing filter device according to  claim 16 , wherein 
 said optical filter element has a reflective surface with which each of said filter chips partially contacts, and    said moving unit moves said optical filter element in a first direction of the arranged filter chips and in a second direction having vertical component to said first direction to let said lights emitted from said first and second light emitting units input to said reflective surface of said optical filter element.    
     
     
         19 . A wavelength routing device which has at least one pair of a wavelength tunable demultiplexing filter device and a wavelength tunable multiplexing filter device, demultiplexes at least one of arbitrary wavelength components of wavelength-multiplexed light, and multiplexes light having the same wavelengths as the demultiplexed ones with residual wavelength-multiplexed light, wherein: 
 said wavelength demultiplexing filter device comprises: 
 a first optical filter element which has a plurality of arranged filter chips which transmit at least one of wavelength components of the wavelength-multiplexed light;  
 a first light emitting unit which emits the wavelength-multiplexed light into said first optical filter element from a specific direction;  
 a first light receiving unit which is located on the same optical axis as said first light emitting unit and receives the light transmitted through said first optical filter element;  
 a second light receiving unit which receives the light reflected at said first optical filter element;  
 a first moving unit which moves said first optical filter element in a direction of said arranged filter chips so that the light from said first light emitting unit enters different filter chips; and  
 a first controller which controls said first moving unit in accordance with the wavelength to be demultiplexed; and  
   wherein said wavelength multiplexing filter device comprises: 
 a second optical filter element which has a plurality of arranged filter chips which transmit at least one of wavelength components of said wavelength-multiplexed light;  
 a second light emitting unit which emits light having arbitrary wavelength components of said wavelength-multiplexed light into said second optical filter element from a specific direction;  
 a third light emitting unit which emits wavelength-multiplexed light excluding the wavelength components emitted by said second light emitting unit, into a position of said second optical filter element, where the transmitted component of said second light emitting unit through said second optical filter element is outputted, so that light reflected by said filter chip overlaps with said transmitted component of the light from said second light emitting unit;  
 a third light receiving unit which is located on the same optical axis as said second light emitting unit and receives the light outputted through said second optical filter element and the light reflected from said third light emitting unit;  
 a second moving unit which moves said optical filter element in a direction of said arranged filter chips to input the light from said second and third light emitting units into different filter chips; and  
 a second controller which controls said moving unit in accordance with a wavelengths to be multiplexed.