Arrayed waveguide grating with reusable delay line (AWG-RDL)

An arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) system comprising:

• a delay line comprising a continuous first waveguide connected to receive input electromagnetic radiation (EMR) having a plurality of wavelengths;
• a plurality of coupling devices, each coupling device comprising a second waveguide coupled to a respective portion of the continuous first waveguide;
• and
• a free propagation region (FPR) having an input end and an output end, the input end being coupled to receive the EMR from each of the coupling devices, the output end being where the EMR is directed to spatially-separated output channels based on wavelength,
• wherein the plurality of coupling devices and the delay line are configured to control power and phase distributions of the EMR transmitted to the FPR,
• wherein each coupling device and respective portion of the first waveguide form a delay unit, and the portion of the first waveguide in each delay unit is curved along at least a part of its length, and
• wherein, in each delay unit, the portion of the first waveguide therein is shaped as one or more spirals.

A method comprising:

• (a) providing input electromagnetic radiation (EMR) to a continuous first waveguide of a delay line, the EMR having a plurality of wavelengths;
• (b) transmitting, via a plurality of coupling devices, the EMR to a free propagation region (FPR), each coupling device comprising a second waveguide coupled to a respective portion of the continuous first waveguide, the FPR having an input end and an output end, the input end being coupled to separately receive the EMR from the second waveguides of the coupling devices, the output end being where the EMR is directed to spatially-separated output channels based on wavelength;
• and
• (c) collecting, via one or more detectors disposed at the output end or an array of waveguides disposed at the output end, the EMR in the spatially-separated output channels,
• wherein configurations of the plurality of coupling devices and the delay line control power and phase distributions of the EMR transmitted to the FPR.

A method comprising:

• (a) providing input electromagnetic radiation (EMR) to a continuous first waveguide of a delay line, the EMR having a plurality of wavelengths;
• (b) transmitting, via a plurality of coupling devices, the EMR to a free propagation region (FPR), each coupling device comprising a second waveguide coupled to a respective portion of the continuous first waveguide, the FPR having an input end and an output end, the input end being coupled to receive the EMR from each of the coupling devices, the output end being where the EMR is directed to spatially-separated output channels based on wavelength;
• and
• (c) collecting, via one or more detectors disposed at the output end or an array of waveguides disposed at the output end, the EMR in the spatially-separated output channels,
• wherein configurations of the plurality of coupling devices and the delay line control power and phase distributions of the EMR transmitted to the FPR, and
• wherein the EMR collected in one or more of the output channels has a non-Gaussian profile.