Arrayed waveguide gratings with stabilized performance under varying parameters

An arrayed waveguide grating device, comprising:

• an input coupler configured to receive a light signal and split the light signal into a plurality of output light signals,
• a plurality of waveguides optically connected to the input coupler, each waveguide having a plurality of waveguide portions, wherein each of the plurality of waveguides has an equal value of a first characteristic, the first characteristic being a summation of for each respective waveguide portion a change in group index of the respective waveguide portion to a change in a parameter associated with operating of the arrayed waveguide grating device multiplied by a length of the respective waveguide portion;
• and
• an output coupler optically connected to the input coupler through the plurality of waveguides, the output coupler configured to map respective light signals output from the plurality of waveguides to respective focal positions, wherein
• the plurality of waveguide portions comprises a first waveguide portion and a second waveguide portion;
• the first waveguide portion of a particular waveguide among the plurality of waveguides has a first width, and
• the second waveguide portion of the particular respective waveguide among the plurality of waveguides has a second width different from the first width.

A method of de-multiplexing an optical signal with an arrayed waveguide grating device, the method comprising:

• receiving a light signal;
• splitting the light signal into a plurality of output light signals;
• propagating the plurality of output light signals via a plurality of waveguides, each waveguide having a plurality of waveguide portions, wherein each of the plurality of waveguides has an equal value of a first characteristic, the first characteristic being a summation of for each respective waveguide portion a change in group index of the respective waveguide portion to a change in a parameter associated with operating of the arrayed waveguide grating device multiplied by a length of the respective waveguide portion;
• and
• mapping respective light signals output from the plurality of waveguides to respective focal positions, wherein
• the plurality of waveguide portions comprises a first waveguide portion and a second waveguide portion directly linked together in series;
• the first waveguide portion of a particular waveguide among the plurality of waveguides has a first effective index, and
• the second waveguide portion of the particular respective waveguide among the plurality of waveguides has a second effective index different from the first effective index.