title: Four-channel wavelength multiplexing composed of phase plates and polarizing beam splitters.
abstract: A new four-channel wavelength multiplexer (W-MUX) based on vibration plane multiplexing is proposed. The W-MUX is composed of phase plates and polarizing beam splitters. Each phase plate operates as a onewave plate for a certain wavelength of light and as a halfwave plate for some other wavelength of light. It is shown that this kind of phase plate can be made incorporating two kinds of birefringent crystal. In addition, the design of the phase plate is discussed. The W-MUX is experimentally fabricated, and its insertion loss is measured. The measured insertion loss for each channel is 2.8 dB or less.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fujii
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Minowa