Patent attributes
An optical communication system including a plurality of transceiver ports each including a transmitter configured to produce a downstream MLM-spectrum signal and a receiver configured to receive an upstream spectrum-sliced signal. The spectrum of the downstream MLM-spectrum signal comprises a plurality of distinct narrow-spectrum peaks each corresponding to a longitudinal mode. The optical communication system also includes a wavelength filter that includes a plurality of branching ports each associated with a specific wavelength channel, wherein each of the branching ports is in connection with a transceiver port and is configured to receive the downstream MLM-spectrum signal from the transmitter and send an upstream spectrum-sliced signal to the receiver, and a common port configured to output a downstream spectrum-sliced signal in response to the downstream MLM-spectrum signal, wherein the spectrum of the downstream spectrum-sliced signal is located in a wavelength channel specifically associated with the branching port at which the downstream MLM-spectrum signal is received.