Dielectric Filters for WDM Mux/De-Mux
(December 2019)
Binyam Adebo, Martha Abdissa, Michael Fantahun, Senait Woubishet, Yonas Fikadu
Addis Ababa institute of Technology, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Abstract- Filter is a device which is allows some signal
to pass and stop others. In electronics, many types of
filters are used such as passive or active, analog or
digital, high pass, low pass, band pass, band stop, all
pass, linear or nonlinear, IIR, FIR filter.
In optical communication optical filter are used to
selectively transmit or reject a wavelength or range of
wavelengths. Optical filter is a device which is pass a
light particular range or wavelength and remaining
light is block. In this paper first we introduce the
interference filter that used for WDM MUX/DEMUX
and we discuss Dielectric thin film filter, it is one of the
technology that used to manufacture WDM filters.
Key word: interference, dielectric, thin-film layer,
WDM
I. INTRODUCTION
Optical communication is a communication which is
transfers an information using light from transmitter to
receiver. WDM system is a technology which
multiplexes a number of optical carrier signals onto a
single optical fiber by using different wavelengths (i.e.
Colors) of laser light. Demultiplexer performing the
reverse function of multiplexers. for this sake WDM
filters are mainly needed in order to route and select
specific wavelength channel.
In optical communication, different types of optical
filters are used to selectively transmit or block certain
wavelengths within optical systems. The two main
categories of optical filters are: Absorptive and
Dichroic Filters (interference filter). In an absorptive
filter, light is blocked based on the absorption
properties of the glass substrate used. Whereas, a
dichroic filter do almost the exact opposite of
absorptive filters they reflect selected wavelengths
instead of absorbing them, and then transmit the
remaining wavelengths. It uses the principle of interfe-
rence.
Interference filters principle of operation is based on
the translucence (is the physical property of allowing
light to pass through a material diffusely) for particular
wavelength ranges and elimination other frequencies
due to interference. use the phenomenon of
interference in order to preferably transmit or reflect
particular spectral ranges of the electromagnetic
radiation. In order to achieve this effect, a great number
of thin dielectric coatings with different refractive
indices is applied to neutral glass. When the
electromagnetic radiation hits these coatings, it is split
into a passing, a reflected and an absorbed portion on
each boundary of different refractive indices.
Fig 1 Interference filter
Interference filter may classify as bandpass filters, low
pass filters, high pass filters and notch filters. Optical
filters with Bandpass are essential components used for
multiplexing and demultiplexing wavelength in WDM
system. it transmits optical power within a certain
wavelength. An optical multi/demultiplexer employing
bandpass dielectric multi-layer filter (DMF) which is
applicable to a two-way WDM transmission system.
II. DIELECTRIC MULTI-LAYER FILTER
(DMF)
Dielectric multilayer or thin-film optical interference
filters were the first filter type to be widely deployed in
wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) systems in
the 1990s. enjoy wide acceptance in optical networks
because of their availability, proven reliability, and
long-term stability. The filters can be made to have
excellent wavelength stability, which makes them ideal
candidates for passive components.
 For MUX/DEMUX of dense wavelength division
Multiplexer (DWDM) signal, high transmission, wide
bandwidth, and high isolation are required. to achieve
these requirements, bandpass filters are primarily used
due to the narrow spacing of channels (typically in the
order of nanometers).
Dielectric thin-film bandpass filters are constructed
by transparent dielectric layer sandwiched between two
thin film layers of metals depositing onto a substrate,
such as optical-grade glass. in which the two metal
films are semitransparent and act as half mirrors. The
light is repeatedly reflected between the two half
mirrors, and interference with itself, greatly amplifying
specific wave lengths (constructive interference) While
attenuating other wavelengths (destructive interference
).
Figure 2: A Dielectric multilayer interference filter. In
this case, the two metal films are aluminum, and the
dielectric layer is composed of Magnesium Fluoride.
The stack is mounted on a glass substrate.
A quantitative classification of an optical medium as
to whether it is “thick” or “thin” is that when
illuminated by a monochromatic light, whether the path
length difference between the multiple reflections at
different boundaries are less than the coherence length
of the light source or not. If the optical path length
differences are less than the coherence length, then the
media is “optically thin”, and interference can occur.
Thin-film filters are similar to cavity filter in the sense
that the resonant cavity selects the wavelengths that are
allowed to travers through. the cavity is formed by thin
films with interface that act as reflectors. The wave
length or group wavelength that is selected depends on
length of this cavity.
dielectric materials, has the advantage of minimizing
light loss in the thin-film stack due to absorption and
allows a large number of layers to be used to create
filters.
A deposition technique often in manufacturing filters
is physical vapor deposition.it uses resistive heating of
metal elements to melt the deposition material in a
vacuum chamber at pressures typically below 10−6
Torr.
Depending upon the application, the filter may consist
of a few layers to a few hundred layers of two or more
different material types to generate almost any arbitrary
spectral response. By integrating several these
components, we can then demultiplex several
wavelengths. the configuration of the layers
manipulates in different way for different wavelengths
of light.
When light beam with different wavelength
(frequency) component is launched onto the filter, part
of the light with frequency component matching the
resonant frequency is transmitted and the rest of the
light beam is reflected by filter.
Figure 3: thin-film filter schematic with n wavelength
The filter TFF section passes wavelength 1 and
reflects 2,3, and 4 to the second, which then passes 2
and reflects 3 and 4 to the third, which then passes 3
and reflect 4 to the fourth. this allows for
demultiplexing or multiplexing of optical signals.
III. STRUCTURE OF A DMF
Dielectric multi-layer (DMF) filters can be fabricated
by cascading stratified dielectric layers of high (H) and
low (L) refractive index (RI) materials, either isotropic
or anisotropic. Si𝑂2 is the most common material used
as the low index material and Ti𝑂2 and T𝑎2 𝑂2 are
typically used as high index materials due to their high,
low absorption and stability at the 1550nm range.
 For the case that the wave is incident on multiple
dielectric layers stratified between two materials of
different constitutive parameters an analogy can be
made between the dielectric layers and transmission
lines. The intrinsic impedance of the first incident
region is analogous to the internal source impedance.
The intrinsic impedance of the final transmitting region
is analogous to the load impedance.

Figure 4: Structure of a DMF, boundaries of stratified

regions

The layers are paired in high-low (HL) RI layers. The

total optical thickness of these pairs is half wavelength
thick of the center wavelength (frequency) and most of
these pairs have high (H) and low (L) refractive index
(RI) layers that are quarter-wavelength thick (optical
Analogous transmission line model
thickness).The thickness of the cavity layer determines
the center wavelength of the filter, while the alternating
quarter wavelength layers determine the reflectivity.
Several HL pairs are stacked together to make up a
reflector of higher reflection coefficient than a single
pair. This reflector is cascaded with another reflector of
equal reflection coefficient (consisting of the same
number of pairs) to form a generic resonator. Hence,
this type of resonator is symmetric the frequency
response of a resonator follows that of a band-pass
filter. A number of these resonators can be cascaded
with a quarter wave coupling to form a BPF optical transmission model
where h: is physical thickness of a dielectric material
Figure 6: Analogy between transmission line
wave theory and stratified dielectric layers.

If we Denote the amplitudes of the incident, reflected

Figure 5: Frequency response of a band-pass filter
IV. TRANSMISSION LINE AND DIELECTRIC
LAYERS
For optical filters, the multiple dielectric layers that
are stratified in between two layers of different
refractive indices, represent the transmission lines.
and transmitted waves by A, R and T respectively it can
be analogous to the voltage and current at any point
along a transmission line in terms of the load current
(IL), load impedance (ZL), the propagation constant (γ)
and the characteristic impedance(Z0).
V. MUX/DEMUX DEVICES USING
DIELECTRIC THIN FILM FILTER
MUX/DEMUX devices can be formed by placing a
thin film interference bandpass filter between two
lenses and launching a parallel beam onto the filter. An
optical signal with a particular wavelength matching
the pass band of the filter will pass through the filter
and the rest of the signal will be reflected by the filter.
Figure 7: schematic diagram of a typical 3-port thin-
film filter based DEMUX.
In figure 7 The schematic diagram shows typical 3-port
DEMUX device for extracting one channel from a
number of channels using graded index (GRIN)
lenses.in this particular case, an optical signal light with
N channels(wavelengths) is launched into the device
through an input fiber. The signal with wavelength of 1
is coupled to an output optical fiber after passing
through the filter and signals with wavelengths of 2 to
n are reflected by the filter and coupled into another
output fiber.
With this structure, the center wavelength of the filter
can be easily tuned to a specific wavelength by varying
the beam angle through the filter, without the need for
tight control on the filter. The beam angle can be
adjusted by simply changing the core distance between
two fibers.
Three methods have been used to form a
MUX/DEMU devices for separating multiple channels
with different wavelengths using the thin-film filters.
The first is to use a wavelength-independent star
coupler to equally split the power of an incoming light
into N branches and then place thin-film filters
corresponding to the desired wavelength at each branch
as shown in figure 8
Figure 8: schematic diagram of a multi-channel
DEMUX device using 1: N splitter and thin-film filters.
MUX/DEMUX devices using this method are very
easy to make; however, they suffer from high insertion
loss due to the intrinsic power splitting and are only
suitable for demultiplexing a small number of channels
(typically less than 4 channels).
The second method is to sequentially cascade multiple
3-port devices as shown in figure 9
Figure 9: schematic diagram of multi-channel DEMUX
using cascaded thin-film filter based 3-port couplers.
This method offers good flexibility in cannel
configuration and improved insertion loss while
maintaining manufacturability similar to the 3-port
devices as shown in figure 7
The third method is to cascade multiple thin-film
filters in a collimated beam. This method has the
potential for providing the lowest insertion loss.
VI. FILTER ORIENTATION
As a general rule, the highly reflective side of the filter
should always face the source of radiation. This
minimizes the thermal load on the absorbing glass
blocking components and epoxies, thereby extending
the lifetime of the filter. Apart from reduction of
thermal effects, filter orientation is without influence
on the spectral characteristics.
VII. ENVIRONMENTAL STABILITY
Temperature and environmental stability of the filter
center wavelength is very important factors in
MUX/DEMUX devices, especially in narrow channel
spacing applications. it is understood that the
temperature coefficient of the center wavelength drift REFERENCE
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VIII. SUMMARY
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Dielectric thin-film filter (TFF) technology is used to
[5]Wavelength Filters in Fibre Optics edited by Herbert
manufacture low cost CWDM and DWDM filters. the
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optical layers of different refractive index dielectric
material on a glass substrate.
WDM filters is determined by the number of optical
layers required to implement them. The channel
spacing must be large enough to prevent interference
between adjacent channels. Most WDM systems use
50-GHz channel spacing, such as ITU-G.692 that
accommodates 80 channels over 4 THz.