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Silicon Nanowire-Assisted High Uniform Arrayed Waveguide Grating
Shuo Yuan1, Jijun Feng1, Zhiheng Yu1
1Shanghai Key Laboratory of Modern Optical System, Engineering Research Center of Optical Instrument and System, Ministry of Education, School of Optical-Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China.
Improving arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) uniformity for dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) systems is crucial. A novel silicon nanowire-assisted AWG design significantly enhances uniformity and maintains low insertion loss.
Area of Science:
- Photonics and Optical Engineering
- Integrated Optics
- Telecommunications
Background:
- Arrayed waveguide gratings (AWGs) are key components in dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) systems.
- Non-uniformity in AWGs degrades system performance and limits channel count.
- Improving AWG uniformity is essential for advanced DWDM applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose and investigate a novel silicon nanowire-assisted AWG structure.
- To enhance the uniformity of AWGs while maintaining low insertion loss.
- To analyze the impact of nanowire configuration on AWG performance.
Main Methods:
- A silicon nanowire-assisted AWG structure was designed and simulated.
- The influence of nanowire number and shape on uniformity and insertion loss was systematically compared.
- Optimized double nanowire dimensions (230 nm width, 3.5 μm length) were determined for a slot configuration.
Main Results:
- The double nanowire configuration demonstrated superior performance in improving uniformity and reducing insertion loss.
- Non-uniformity was reduced from 1.09 dB and 1.6 dB to 0.24 dB and 0.63 dB for 8- and 16-channel AWGs, respectively.
- The proposed design maintains the original device footprint and offers simple fabrication.
Conclusions:
- The silicon nanowire-assisted AWG design effectively improves non-uniformity and insertion loss.
- This approach provides a practical solution for high-uniformity AWGs in DWDM systems.
- The design is compatible with existing fabrication processes and suitable for highly integrated DWDM systems.
