Optical directional coupler based on Si-wire waveguides

We fabricated optical directional couplers with Si-wire waveguides and demonstrated their fundamental characteristics. Their coupling-length was extremely short, several micrometers, because of strong optical coupling between the waveguide cores. Wavelength demultiplexing functions were also demonstrated for devices with a long coupled waveguide. Optical output from a device 800 mum long changed reciprocally with 2.5-nm wavelength spacing between the parallel and cross ports.