Identification of optical fibres in a passive optical network using highly temperature insensitive filters and reflectors

Abstract The authors demonstrate the use of highly temperature insensitive dense wavelength division multiplexing filters combined with optical reflectors and optical time domain reflectometry to uniquely identify specific optical fibres beyond the optical splitter in an optical access passive optical network (PON). The very low wavelength shift (∼0.1 pm/°C) of the filters over the full industrial temperature range facilitates the future field deployment of these components in the PON without the requirement for complex and expensive wavelength tracking at the optical line terminal.