Performance of unamplified access optical network using broad band coupler architecture

We demonstrate and report results for a seven node optical network for metro application. The ring architecture is unamplified and uses broadband couplers for low cost and improved flexibility. Here we have demonstrated seven nodes plus a hub node for 2.5 Gb/s signals, which suggests that a five or six nodes system may be practical. For 10 Gb/s signals, 4 to 5 nodes are practical given a directly modulated laser source and avalanche photodiode (APD) photodetectors.