Optical beat-induced crosstalk of an acousto-optic tunable filter for WDM network application

Acousto-optic tunable filters (AOTF) using TE-TM mode conversion are attractive for wavelength routers, such as WDM add/drop multiplexers or WDM cross-connect switching fabrics, due to their multichannel selectivity. However, their multichannel selection creates optical beat-induced crosstalk, the so called "coherent crosstalk", due to the interaction of the lightwave with several acoustic waves. This paper evaluates the transmission characteristics of WDM systems employing AOTF's. First, we develop an analytical model of coherent crosstalk based on the coupled mode theory. Next, we examine coherent crosstalk induced BER degradation both theoretically and experimentally for optical WDM systems and show that the analytical studies well support the experimental results. Finally, maximum AOTF cascade number is estimated based on these results for WDM based wavelength routing networks.