Optical add-drop multiplexer having an interferometer structure

This invention relates to optical routing devices and, more particularly, to optical devices that perform an add-drop multiplexing function. An optical add-drop multiplexer (ADM) avoids waveguide crossings by being constructed in the form of a Mach-Zehnder interferometer having a demultiplexer/multiplexer (demux/mux) pair in each of its arms. Each demux/mux pair is interconnected by coherent connecting paths having heating elements for increasing the path length of selected connecting paths. Waveguide optical couplers having asymmetric transfer functions are used at the input and output of the ADM. These couplers cooperate with the activated heating elements to add and/or delete a selected optical channel to/from an optical transmission path. Each coherent connecting path includes a number of waveguides. The end-to-end transmission characteristic of the ADM through each individual waveguide has a Gaussian shape. These Gaussian shapes are designed intersect at their −3 dB wavelengths so that the end-to-end transmission characteristic of the ADM is flat.