Thermally compensated arrayed waveguide grating assemblies

摘要

Arrayed waveguide grating can have one or both slab waveguides with relatively sharply folded optical paths and a mirror that provides the folding of the path. The folded optical paths through the slab waveguides can result in a more compact geometry of the waveguides through the device as well as smaller slab waveguides such that the device can be formed with a significantly smaller overall footprint. Also, arrayed waveguide gratings that cooperate with pivotable mirrors can adjust light passage through the waveguide in response to temperature changes to provide for thermally compensated operation of the device. Thus, very compact planar lightwave circuits filters are described that provide thermally compensated operation.

主权项

1. A method for adjusting the optical path through a dispersive element of a planar lightwave circuit comprising:
a combined signal waveguide; a set of dispersed signal waveguides; a first slab waveguide; a first mirror optically connected to the first slab waveguide; a mirror assembly supporting the first mirror; a waveguide array; and a second slab waveguide, wherein the waveguide array optically connects the first slab waveguide and the second slab waveguide to provide an arrayed waveguide grating (AWG), wherein the combined signal waveguide or the set of dispersed signal waveguides is optically connected at an access edge to the first slab waveguide and the other of the combined signal waveguide or the set of dispersed signal waveguides is optically connected to the second slab waveguide and wherein an optical path through the first slab waveguide from the access edge is folded by providing an optical reflection from the first mirror to the array edge connecting the waveguide array and the appropriate element of the combined signal waveguide or the set of dispersed signal waveguides, and wherein the mirror assembly comprises a manually adjustable actuator that sets the wavelength response of the AWG by tuning the position of the central wavelength optical path, the method comprising: adjusting the actuator through external manipulation to move the first mirror to alter the optical path between the combined signal waveguide and the dispersed signal waveguides.