Analysis of add–drop multiplexers with pseudonoise gratings

In a recent letter, our group proposed the usage of pseudonoise (PN) sequences to create special bandpass grating structures. The reflectivity spectra of these devices show broadband spectral characteristics similar to direct-sequence spread spectrum. In this letter, the applications of these special grating structures to optical add–drop multiplexers are analyzed. The principal goal of this analysis is to study how PN gratings influence the performance of add–drop multiplexers, especially with respect to the possibility of adding and/or dropping a multitude of wavelengths. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 27: 30–37, 2000.