Passive and adaptive optical equalizer for reconfigurable multiwavelength networks

We describe the concept for a passive device that equalizes the power of a multiwavelength optical signal without spectrally dispersing the signal. The proposed device consists of a Fabry–Perot cavity with a photorefractive medium. It is scalable in the number of wavelengths, adapts to time variations in the optical power, and does not require an external power reference, so it is well suited for equalizing the output of erbium-doped fiber amplifiers in reconfigurable, multiwavelength, optical networks. We give an analysis of the device’s operation and of network behavior.