Fiber grating devices for WDM systems

Summary form only given. The impact of fiber gratings on communications systems has been projected for some time, and now in the last year they have been utilized as enabling components in several system experiments. The range and functionality of components continues to increase, with a significant number of these components ideal for WDM system applications. I will review fiber grating-based WDM-system components, with detail of the fiber grating properties which make these devices attractive options for future systems. Devices included will be source lasers, pump lasers, demultiplexers, add-drop filters, and gain flattening filters.