Reduction in sidelobe level in ultracompact arrayed waveguide grating demultiplexer based on Si wire waveguide

We designed and fabricated 70 x 75 mu m(2) arrayed waveguide grating demultiplexer consisting of Si slab and wire waveguides on a silicon-on-insulator substrate. By optimizing the connection between components and the layout of arrayed waveguides, internal light scattering and the increase in phase error were suppressed. As a result, clear demultiplexing characteristics were observed with a channel spacing of 8 nm and a sidelobe level of, -22 dB in the wavelength range from 1.5 to 1.6 mu m.