A novel technique for an integrated optical wavelength demultiplexer

In this paper we propose a new technique for optical wavelength demultiplexing (DEMUX) relaying on two phenomena: Goos–Haenchen (GH) shift and continuous refraction at a graded-index medium interface. In the first case, two light beams are totally reflected at a plane interface separating two dielectric lossless media. The reflected beams suffer different lateral shifts (GH shifts) depending on the wavelength; thus accomplishing the required spatial beam separation. In the second case, the two light beams have different “turning points” inside the graded index medium; hence, the “back-refracted” beams are spatially separated. In this paper, we optimized the conditions of operation of such demultiplexing technique. This makes possible the integration of such technique in “planar integrated-optics” structures which can be used reliably in optical fiber communication networks.