Compact, low insertion loss, high yield arrayed waveguide grating

A method of fabricating a planar lightwave circuit having an arrayed waveguide grating (AWG), the method comprising:

• forming a plurality of waveguides, including
• forming a plurality of input and output waveguides;
• forming a plurality of at least partially curved array waveguides with respective length differences for imparting respective phase delays on respective optical energy transmitted therein;
• forming an input planar waveguide region coupled between the input waveguides and array waveguides, for receiving input optical energy from at least one input waveguide and distributing the input energy to the array waveguides;
• forming an output planar waveguide region coupled between the array waveguides and at least one output waveguide, for receiving the respectively phase delayed energy from the array waveguides and distributing said energy to the at least one output waveguide;
• wherein:
• the array waveguides are coupled to the input and output planar waveguide regions along respective array facets thereof, the array waveguides being expanded in width near the array facets and spaced by about 1.9 μm at the facets, and
• the output waveguides are expanded in width near an output facet of the output planar waveguide region and spaced by about 5.7 μm at said facet.

A planar lightwave circuit having an arrayed waveguide grating (AWG), the AWG comprising:

• a plurality of input and output waveguides;
• a plurality of at least partially curved array waveguides with respective length differences for imparting respective phase delays on respective optical energy transmitted therein;
• an input planar waveguide region coupled between the input waveguides and array waveguides, for receiving input optical energy from at least one input waveguide and distributing the input energy to the array waveguides;
• an output planar waveguide region coupled between the array waveguides and at least one output waveguide, for receiving the respectively phase delayed energy from the array waveguides and distributing said energy to the at least one output waveguide;
• wherein:
• the array waveguides are coupled to the input and output planar waveguide regions along respective array facets thereof, the array waveguides being expanded in width near the array facets and spaced by about 1.75 μm at the facets, and
• the output waveguides are expanded in width near an output facet of the output planar waveguide region and spaced by about 11.7 μm at said facet.

A method for forming a planar lightwave circuit having an arrayed waveguide grating (AWG), the method comprising:

• forming a plurality of waveguides, including:
• forming a plurality of input and output waveguides;
• forming a plurality of at least partially curved array waveguides with respective length differences for imparting respective phase delays on respective optical energy transmitted therein;
• forming an input planar waveguide region coupled between the input waveguides and array waveguides, for receiving input optical energy from at least one input waveguide and distributing the input energy to the array waveguides;
• forming an output planar waveguide region coupled between the array waveguides and at least one output waveguide, for receiving the respectively phase delayed energy from the array waveguides and distributing said energy to the at least one output waveguide;
• wherein:
• the array waveguides are coupled to the input and output planar waveguide regions along respective array facets thereof, the array waveguides being expanded in width near the array facets and spaced by about 1.75 μm at the facets, and
• the output waveguides are expanded in width near an output facet of the output planar waveguide region and spaced by about 11.7 μm at said facet.

A planar lightwave circuit having an arrayed waveguide grating (AWG), the AWG comprising:

• a plurality of input and output waveguides;
• a plurality of at least partially curved array waveguides with respective length differences for imparting respective phase delays on respective optical energy transmitted therein;
• an input planar waveguide region coupled between the input waveguides and array waveguides, for receiving input optical energy from at least one input waveguide and distributing the input energy to the array waveguides;
• an output planar waveguide region coupled between the array waveguides and at least one output waveguide, for receiving the respectively phase delayed energy from the array waveguides and distributing said energy to the at least one output waveguide;
• wherein:
• the number of array waveguides is about 192 and the difference in length between adjacent array waveguides is about 32 μm resulting in a free spectral range within channels thereof of about 6400 GHz,
• the input and output planar waveguide regions have a length of about 12200 μm, and the length of a horizontal axis between the center of an input facet of the input planar waveguide axis region and the center of an output facet of the output planar waveguide region of about 29.1 mm, and
• respective longitudinal axes of the planar waveguide regions form about a 44.2 degree angle with said horizontal axis.

A method for forming a planar lightwave circuit having an arrayed waveguide grating (AWG), the method comprising:

• forming a plurality of waveguides, including
• forming a plurality of input and output waveguides;
• forming a plurality of at least partially curved array waveguides with respective length differences for imparting respective phase delays on respective optical energy transmitted therein;
• forming an input planar waveguide region coupled between the input waveguides and array waveguides, for receiving input optical energy from at least one input waveguide and distributing the input energy to the array waveguides;
• forming an output planar waveguide region coupled between the array waveguides and at least one output waveguide, for receiving the respectively phase delayed energy from the array waveguides and distributing said energy to the at least one output waveguide;
• wherein:
• the number of array waveguides is about 192 and the difference in length between adjacent array waveguides is about 32 μm resulting in a free spectral range within channels thereof of about 6400 GHz,
• the input and output planar waveguide regions have a length of about 12200 μm, and the length of a horizontal axis between the center of an input facet of the input planar waveguide axis region and the center of an output facet of the output planar waveguide region of about 29.1 mm, and
• respective longitudinal axes of the planar waveguide regions form about a 44.2 degree angle with said horizontal axis.

A planar lightwave circuit having an arrayed waveguide grating (AWG), the AWG comprising:

• a plurality of input and output waveguides;
• a plurality of at least partially curved array waveguides with respective length differences for imparting respective phase delays on respective optical energy transmitted therein;
• an input planar waveguide region coupled between the input waveguides and array waveguides, for receiving input optical energy from at least one input waveguide and distributing the input energy to the array waveguides;
• an output planar waveguide region coupled between the array waveguides and at least one output waveguide, for receiving the respectively phase delayed energy from the array waveguides and distributing said energy to the at least one output waveguide;
• wherein:
• the number of array waveguides is about 280 and the difference in length between adjacent array waveguides is about 32 μm resulting in a free spectral range within channels thereof of about 6400 GHz,
• the input and output planar waveguide regions have a length of about 16450 μm, and the length of a horizontal axis between the center of an input facet of the input planar waveguide region and the center of an output facet of the output planar waveguide region of about 33.2 mm, and
• respective longitudinal axes of the planar waveguide regions form about a 50 degree angle with said horizontal axis.

A method for forming a planar lightwave circuit having an arrayed waveguide grating (AWG), the method comprising:

• forming a plurality of waveguides, including
• forming a plurality of input and output waveguides;
• forming a plurality of at least partially curved array waveguides with respective length differences for imparting respective phase delays on respective optical energy transmitted therein;
• forming an input planar waveguide region coupled between the input waveguides and array waveguides, for receiving input optical energy from at least one input waveguide and distributing the input energy to the array waveguides;
• forming an output planar waveguide region coupled between the array waveguides and at least one output waveguide, for receiving the respectively phase delayed energy from the array waveguides and distributing said energy to the at least one output waveguide;
• wherein:
• the number of array waveguides is about 280 and the difference in length between adjacent array waveguides is about 32 μm resulting in a free spectral range within channels thereof of about 6400 GHz,
• the input and output planar waveguide regions have a length of about 16450 μm, and the length of a horizontal axis between the center of an input facet of the input planar waveguide region and the center of an output facet of the output planar waveguide region of about 33.2 mm, and
• respective longitudinal axes of the planar waveguide regions form about a 50 degree angle with said horizontal axis.