Arrayed waveguide grating

摘要

An optical wavelength multi/demultiplexing circuit is provided in which temperature dependence at a transmission center wavelength remained in an athermalized AWG is compensated. An AWG according to an embodiment of the present invention is compensated for the main temperature dependence at the transmission center wavelength. The AWG comprises an optical splitter, a first and second arm waveguides, an optical mode combining coupler and a multimode waveguide between an input/output waveguide and a slab waveguide. The optical mode combining coupler couples fundamental mode light from the first arm waveguide as fundamental mode and the fundamental mode light from the second arm waveguide as first mode. The multimode waveguide is capable of propagating the fundamental and first mode light. This AWG is configured such that the temperature dependence remained in the arrayed waveguide grating is compensated by changing the optical path length difference between the first and second arm waveguides with temperature.

主权项

1. An arrayed waveguide grating comprising:
an athermal arrayed waveguide grating comprising a first slab waveguide, arrayed waveguides and a second slab waveguide, wherein a main temperature dependence of the athermal arrayed waveguide grating at a transmission center wavelength is compensated for; a first input/output waveguide; an optical splitter connected to the first input/output waveguide; a first arm waveguide and a second arm waveguide each connected to the optical splitter, the first and second arm waveguides having an optical path length difference therebetween, wherein the absolute value of the optical path length difference is less than or equal to ten times the transmission center wavelength for a central temperature of an operating temperature of the athermal arrayed waveguide grating; an optical mode combining coupler connected to the first and second arm waveguides and for coupling fundamental mode light from the first arm waveguide as fundamental mode and fundamental mode light from the second arm waveguide as first mode; and a mechanism for varying the transmission center wavelength with respect to temperature so as to compensate for temperature dependence of the transmission center wavelength remaining in the athermal arrayed waveguide grating, by changing a phase difference between the first mode light and the fundamental mode light according to a change in temperature so as to vary a light intensity peak in an optical field incident to the first slab waveguide, wherein the mechanism comprises a groove formed in at least one of the first and second arm waveguides and filled with a temperature compensating material so as to change the optical path length difference between the first and second arm waveguides with temperature.