Recent progress on athermal AWG wavelength multiplexer

Abstract

We review the athermalization techniques that have been proposed for AWGs and discuss the advantages and disadvantages provided by each approach. We then describe our recent progress on the design and fabrication of a silica-based athermal AWG with a 1.5%-∆ waveguide and report its compactness and excellent optical characteristics including its extremely low insertion loss.

The integration of silica and polymer waveguide devices for ROADM applications

“…There are several methods to achieve athermal AWGs, such as moving the input fiber across the focal plane, 12,13 creating stress on the substrate, 14,15 and creating optical paths with a material with the opposite sign of thermal coefficient at the arrayed waveguides. 16 These are mature technologies as athermal AWGs are commercially available.…”

Athermal arrayed waveguide gratings in silicon-on-insulator by overlaying a polymer cladding on narrowed arrayed waveguides

“…These elements would not only take extra space but also consume higher power, counteracting the benefits brought by SOI technology. Athermal glass-based or InPbased AWGs have been demonstrated for several years, where the methods adopted for removing the temperature dependence include cutting silica AWGs at one of their slab waveguides into two pieces and then connecting them by a metal plate [4], insertion of a resin-filled groove into the arrayed waveguides or one slab waveguide [5][6][7], and so on [8][9]. However, there has still not yet been an experimental demonstration of athermal SOI AWGs so far.…”