Integrated multichannel optical wavelength selective switches incorporating an arrayed-waveguide grating multiplexer and thermooptic switches

We present a basic configuration of an unique integrated-optic arrayed-waveguide grating (AWG) multiplexer with loop-back optical paths and demonstrate an add-drop multiplexer (ADM), a network access terminal, and a wavelength channel selector for dense-WDM ring or bus networks, as three useful examples of its attractive applications. A key device in these components is a silica-glass based 1.55 /spl mu/m polarization-insensitive 32/spl times/32 AWG multiplexer chip with 0.8 nm channel spacing which is fabricated using planar lightwave circuit (PLC) technologies. Fine operation in their new functional components is achieved by using the AWG multiplexer module having low insertion loss of 3.9 dB and low interchannel crosstalk of less than -28 dB.

A 32 × 32 arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) multiplexer operating around the 1550 nm wavelength has been designed and fabricated using fluorinated poly (ether ether ketone). The schematic layout is about 3.2×1.7 cm². For our AWG, the total loss of designed AWG multiplexer is calculated to be 4.5 dB. We fabricated the AWG multiplexer by spin coating, photolithographic patterning and reactive ion etching (RIE). The core size is 5×5 μm². The roughness of polymer surface was reduced by 20 nm using a remelting technique. The measured wavelength channel spacing of the fabricated AWG multiplexer is 0.796 nm and center wavelength is 1548 nm. The inserting loss of the AWG is 9.5 dB and crosstalk less than -20 dB.

Wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) systems are widely deployed in high-capacity long-haul transmission systems. They can provide cost-effective additional capacity on fibers overloaded by the increase in data traffic. Current WDM systems are used mainly for point-to-point transmission links. Next generation WDM technologies are expected to provide full functionality at both the system and network levels. Next generation WDM system will require many optical components, including optical filters, add/drop multiplexers, circuit switches and wavelength converters. Optical components using planar lightwave circuits (PLCs) are now widely used in WDM systems. Arrayed waveguide gratings (AWGs), in particular, play an important role in current WDM systems. In the next generation system, optical components using PLCs are expected to provide many functions that counterparts cannot. In this paper, we will describe the current and future WDM components using PLCs, focusing on AWGs and switchable add/drop filters.

A compact hybrid-integrated 100 Gb/s (4 lane × 25.78125 Gb/s) transmitter optical sub-assembly (TOSA) has been developed for a 100 Gb/s transceiver for 40-km transmission over a single-mode fiber. The TOSA has a simple configuration in which four electro-absorption modulator-integrated distributed feedback (EADFB) lasers are directly attached to the input waveguide end-face of a silica-based arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) multiplexer without bulk lenses. To achieve a high optical butt coupling efficiency between the EADFB lasers and the AWG multiplexer, we integrated a laterally tapered spot-size converter (SSC) for the EADFB laser and employed a waveguide with a high refractive index difference of 2.0% for the AWG multiplexer. By optimizing the laterally tapered SSC structure, we achieved a butt-coupling loss of less than 3 dB, which is an improvement of around 2 dB compared with a laser without an SSC structure. We also developed an ultracompact AWG multiplexer, which was 6.7 mm × 3.5 mm in size with an insertion loss of less than 1.9 dB. We achieved this by using a Mach–Zehnder interferometer-synchronized configuration to obtain a low loss and wide flat-top transmission filter spectra. The TOSA body size was 19.9 mm (L) × 6.0 mm (W) × 5.8 mm (H). Error-free operation was demonstrated for a 40-km transmission when all the lanes were driven simultaneously with a low EA modulator driving voltage of 1.5 V at an operating temperature of 55 °C.

This paper experimentally demonstrates flexible-bandwidth networking by splitting a 500-GHz waveform generated by optical arbitrary waveform generation into its two tributary spectral slices using a liquid-crystal spatial light phase modulator as a wavelength selective switch.

A novel liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS)-based wavelength selective switch (WSS) is proposed, fabricated, and demonstrated. It employs a multilayered arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) as a wavelength multiplex/demultiplexer. The LCOS deflects spectrally decomposed beams channel by channel and switches them to desired waveguide layers of the multilayered AWG. In order to obtain the multilayered AWG with high yield, phase errors of the AWG is externally compensated for by an additional phase modulation with the LCOS. This additional phase modulation is applied to the equivalent image of the facet of the AWG, which is projected by a relay lens. In our previously-reported WSS configuration, somewhat large footprint and increased cost were the drawbacks, since two LCOSs were required: one LCOS was driven for the inter-port switching operation, and the other was for the phase-error compensation. In the newly proposed configuration, on the other hand, both switching and compensation operations are performed using a single LCOS. This reduction of the component count is realized by introducing the folded configuration with a reflector. The volume of the WSS optics is 80 × 100 × 60 mm3, which is approximately 40% smaller than the previous configuration. The polarization-dependent loss and inter-channel crosstalk are less than 1.5 dB and -21.0 dB, respectively. An error-free transmission of 40-Gbit/s NRZ-OOK signal through the WSS is successfully demonstrated.

The diffraction characteristics are analyzed for a polymer arrayed-waveguide grating (AWG) multiplexer around the central wavelength of 1.55 μm with the wavelength spacing of 1.6 nm. The diffraction loss and diffraction efficiency in the input and the output slab waveguide are investigated and discussed for different values of parameters, such as the core width, pitch of adjacent waveguides, the number of arrayed waveguides, taper end width of waveguides, and number of output wavelength. Finally, we give a set of parameters which have been optimized in this device.

We fabricated a high-speed wavelength tunable arrayed-waveguide grating (AWG) and an AWG integrated with optical switches using (Pb,La)(Zr,Ti)0 3 (PLZT). PLZT has a high electro-optic (EO) coefficient, which means these devices have considerable potential for use in reconfigurable optical add drop multiplexers (ROADMs). The PLZT waveguides in this work have a rib waveguide structure with an effective relative index difference (Δ) of 0.65%. Both AWGs have 8 channels with a frequency spacing of 500 GHz. The fabricated wavelength tunable AWGs allows us to freely shift the output at a particular wavelength to an arbitrary port by applying voltages to 3 mm long electrodes formed on each of the waveguides. We confirmed that the maximum tuning range with driving voltage of 22 V was approximately 32 nm at 1.55 μm. With the integrated 8-ch PLZT waveguide switch array, we could also select the output port by setting the drive voltage applied to the switch array. 2 x 2 directional coupler switches were used for the switch array. The two devices exhibited insertion losses of 17 dB and 19 dB, adjacent crosstalk of -18.5 dB and -19.7 dB, and a maximum extinction ratio of 19.6 dB and 12.6 dB, respectively. The tuning speed of both devices was 15 ns and their physical sizes were 9.0 x 23.0 mm and 8.0 x 29.5 mm, respectively.

Optical dense wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) systems have been investigated in order to enlarge transmission capacity and improve network flexibility. Arrayed-waveguide grating (AWG) multiplexers are key components in such systems because they can process plural wavelengths simultaneously. This paper reviews recent work on AWGs based on silica-based planar lightwave circuits and their applications to dense-WDM systems. An AWG consists of plural input/output waveguides, two focal slab waveguides and a waveguide array. Applications investigated include optical add/drop multiplexers, wavelength routers and multi-channel light sources.

We experimentally and theoretically investigate GeSi-based photonics for future on-chip optical interconnect on bulk Silicon substrates with dense wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) system. We experimentally show that Ge-rich Si_1-xGe_x can be used as both a passive low loss waveguide and a substrate to facilitate low-temperature epitaxial growth of Ge-based active devices working at low optical loss wavelength of Ge-rich Si_1-xGe_x waveguides. We also theoretically discussed the possibilities to realize a compact passive component based on Ge-rich Si_1-xGe_x material system on bulk Si wafer. From simulation the system based on Ge-rich Si_1-xGe_x waveguide and the Si_1-yGe_y (y < x) lower cladding layer is good enough to ensure compactness of important on-chip photonic components including passive waveguide and GeSi-based array waveguide grating (AWG). The small refractive index contrast between Ge-rich Si_1-xGe_x waveguide and the Si_1-yGe_y lower cladding layer potentially avoid the polarization dependent loss and detrimental fabrication tolerance of WDM system. Our studies show that GeSi-based photonics could uniquely provide both passive and active functionalities for dense WDM system.

In this article, a polymeric 41‐channel array‐waveguide grating (AWG) multiplexer was fabricated by simple direct Ultraviolet photolithography process. We try to use a cross‐linkable negative photoresist as core material and an optically clear UV curable epoxy as cladding material. Once exposed to Ultraviolet light through a photomask, the polymeric waveguide stripes were obtained upon development. Because of the superiority of UV resist in microelectro mechanical systems, the characteristic of the optical waveguide is better than that fabricated by steam‐redissolution technique of polymeric waveguide. The propagation loss is low as 2.03 dB/cm at 1550‐nm wavelength. The AWG multiplexer has channel spacing of 0.789 nm and the center wavelength is close to 1550 nm. The new technique will be well suited for fabricating optical integrated circuits. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 49: 3040–3044, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.22965

A novel, photonics-based scheme for the independent and simultaneous beam steering of multiple radio frequency signals at a wideband phased-array antenna is presented. As a proof of concept, a wavelength-selective switch (WSS) is employed both as a wavelength router to feed multiple antenna elements and as a tunable phase shifter to independently control the phase of each signal at any antenna element. In the experiment, two signals at 12.5 and 37.5 GHz are simultaneously fed to the four output ports of the WSS with independent and tunable phase shifts, emulating the independent steering of two signals in a four-element phased-array antenna. The results confirm the precision and flexibility of the proposed scheme, which can be realized both with bulk components or resorting to photonic integrated circuits, especially for wide-band applications. The architecture for a possible integrated implementation of the proposed solution is presented, employing a structure based on micro-ring resonator. Starting from these results, the feasibility of an integrated version of the presented architecture is also considered. The proposed photonic integrated circuit realizing the beam-forming network might be based on tunable true-time delay, as well as on phase shift through micro-ring resonators, and could be conveniently implemented with CMOS-compatible silicon technology.

We have presented a simultaneous WDM channel wavelength monitoring method by periodically modulating the arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) temperature. This method provides crossover-wavelengths with very small attenuations compared with adjacent transmission peaks. Thus the monitoring error owing to the ASE can be decreased substantially. Moreover, one WDM channel can be monitored using one AWG output port enabling the use of standard AWGs. The temperature modulated AWG can work also as a multi-channel wavelength locker as well as the multi-channel wavelength monitor.

De-multiplexing the required spectrum in a traffic demand into multiple non-adjacent granular spectrums for dynamic traffic grooming in EON

As fiber-optic systems turn toward multi-band transmission (MBT), exploiting the complete low loss window of optical fibers, novel optical components, able to operate in bands other than the conventional C-band, become necessary. In light of this, we report on a multi-band photonic integrated × wavelength selective switch (WSS) operating in the O, S, C and L-bands. The photonic integrated WSS presented in this work uses a folded arrayed-waveguide grating (AWG) as the filtering element, while the wideband operation of the thermo-optic switches allows the routing of the individual channels from those bands to any of the device output ports. The operation of the WSS is experimentally validated for different bands and modulation formats. Results show error-free operation with limited penalty with intensity-modulation direct-detection (IM/DD) non-return-to-zero on-off keying (NRZ-OOK) up to 35 Gb/s in O, S, C and L-bands and up to 169.83 Gb/s with coherent 64-quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) data transmission in the S, C and L-bands.