Reconfigurable MicroPhotonic add/drop multiplexer architecture

In this paper, we propose the integration of Opto-VLSI systems and photonic components to realise a reconfigurable MicroPhotonic add/drop multiplexer (RMPADM) that can scale to tens of Wavelength Division Multiplexed (WDM) channels while maintaining low insertion loss and low crosstalk. We demonstrate the proof-of-principle of a 2-WDM-channel RMPADM structure that uses a reconfigurable Opto-VLSI processor to independently steer many WDM channels thus achieving single and/or multiple add/drop multiplexing. More than 25 dB isolation is demonstrated.