Background technology
Array waveguide grating (AWG) is a kind of dispersing optics device, can be used for one group of optical telecommunications channel with different wave length is carried out multiplexed and demultiplexing.Illustrated among Fig. 1 that a kind of common AWG example, this AWG are integrated optical wave guide devices that forms in silicon or other similar material substrate.The waveguide of common AWG comprises one or more input waveguides arranged side by side 4, is used for a plurality of wavelength channel of mixing
1To λ
nMultiplex signal propagate into first waveguide zone 5, waveguide zone is a star-like coupled zone or other zone similarity normally.Waveguide zone 5 links to each other with Waveguide array district 6, and input signal is distributed to the many waveguides in Waveguide array district, and these waveguides constitute gratings.Each root waveguide all has different optical lengths, and the optical length of adjacent waveguide is according to a steady state value relevant with centre wavelength increase and decrease, and the waveguide length from a side of grating to opposite side progressively increases progressively.What link to each other with the Waveguide array other end is another waveguide zone 7, the interference of being introduced by waveguide array grating district 6 that relative phase difference caused can occur in second waveguide zone 7.The chromatic dispersion of waveguide optical grating physically separates the different wave length of flashlight, and focuses on the output plane of second waveguide zone 7, and with in a plurality of output waveguides that the wavelength that separates is coupled into second waveguide zone links to each other.The output signal of different centre wavelengths is corresponding to different output waveguides 8 positions, thereby realized function that the different wave length signal is separated from the space.Utilize the reciprocal principle of light path, array waveguide grating had both had the multiplexing function of multiple wavelength optical signal and had also had the function of multiple wavelength optical signal demultiplexing.The centre wavelength of each wavelength channel and interval are depended on the geometric configuration of AWG waveguide and are formed the effective refractive index of the Waveguide array of grating.
What Fig. 1 provided is the conventionally form of AWG, and its Waveguide array 6 and the waveguide zone 7,8 that links to each other thereof be left-right symmetric structurally, and input waveguide 4, output waveguide 8 are in the both sides of device respectively.This structure exists device volume bigger, the device package complexity, and input optical fibre 1, output optical fibre 10 such as are difficult to draw from the same side at problem.It is considered herein that by on Waveguide array district center line of symmetry, introducing a reflection unit, can provide a kind of AWG of compact conformation to overcome the above problems.
The material that forms the waveguiding structure of AWG adopts SiO2 or other similar material usually.Owing to the refractive index of these materials along with variation of temperature changes, therefore cause the light transmission centre wavelength of AWG to vary with temperature and drift about.For example, spend between 60 degree Celsius-5 when temperature and when changing, to adopt the centre wavelength drift of the AWG of conventional parameter manufacturing to reach more than the 0.6nm, this is receptible anything but to being applied in the AWG that requires in the dense wavelength division multiplexing system.It is considered herein that can eliminate temperature is vital to the influence of centre wavelength to the application of AWG.
The input of original design simultaneously, the position of output waveguide are fixed, and the precision of the waveguide parameter that production run can be controlled is not enough to centre wavelength is arranged in the required range of tolerable variance, and this production and application to AWG has brought great difficulty.It is considered herein that provide a kind of adjustable part in the inside of AWG, so that the dirigibility of adjustment is provided.
Summary of the invention
The purpose of this invention is to provide the array waveguide grating that a kind of light signal that is used for spatially a plurality of wavelength channels separates.
It comprises integrated waveguide chip, mirror assembly, and said integrated waveguide chip has input waveguide, output waveguide, waveguide zone, Waveguide array district, and mirror assembly has reflector apparatus, tunable arrangement; At least one comprises that a plurality of and output waveguide is positioned at the same side of integrated chip input waveguide; The Waveguide array district, the length difference between its adjacent waveguide has only half of conventional AWG, and Waveguide array district one end links to each other with waveguide zone, and the other end links to each other with the chip edge of handling through end face polishing, plating anti-reflection film; The chip edge end that reflector apparatus links to each other with the Waveguide array district is adjacent.
Advantage of the present invention:
(1) the present invention introduces an adjustable mirror in the Waveguide array district, and its adjustable structure varies with temperature the inclination that causes catoptron, eliminates the influence of temperature to channel center's wavelength fully.
(2) the present invention can provide a kind of dense wave division multiplexer/demodulation multiplexer of arrayed waveguide grating type of compact conformation by introduce a reflection unit on Waveguide array district center line of symmetry, and its area is less than conventional AWG area of chip.Because device need not to add the temperature control part, so its volume is significantly smaller than conventional AWG device.
(3) a kind of array waveguide grating of the present invention's proposition, its input, output waveguide are in same one side of chip, therefore input and output can a shared fiber array when device package, and those of ordinary skill in the art know like this can bring great convenience for device package.
(4) input of original design simultaneously, the position of output waveguide are fixed, and the precision of the waveguide parameter that production run can be controlled is not enough to centre wavelength is arranged in the required range of tolerable variance, and this production and application to AWG has brought great difficulty.A kind of array waveguide grating that the present invention proposes is introduced an adjustable mirror in the Waveguide array district, for the inside of AWG provides a kind of adjustable part, realize the flexible adjustment to centre wavelength.
(5) by being set, piezoelectric ceramic piece can realize in a big way the adjustable AWG of centre wavelength on adjustable support.
Embodiment
Be used for spatially the array waveguide grating that the light signal with a plurality of wavelength channels separates, it comprises integrated waveguide chip 3, mirror assembly, said integrated waveguide chip has input waveguide 4, output waveguide 8, waveguide zone 5, Waveguide array district 6, and mirror assembly has reflector apparatus 11, tunable arrangement 13,14; At least one comprises that a plurality of and output waveguide 8 are positioned at the same side of integrated chip 3 input waveguide 4; Waveguide array district 6, the length difference between its adjacent waveguide has only half of conventional AWG, and Waveguide array district one end links to each other with waveguide zone, and the other end links to each other with the chip edge of handling through end face polishing, plating anti-reflection film 15; The chip edge end 15 that reflector apparatus 11 links to each other with Waveguide array district 6 is adjacent.
Said waveguide zone only comprises one and links to each other with input, output waveguide and Waveguide array district.Tunable arrangement is configured to by propping up of two kinds of different expansion coefficient materials.Tunable arrangement is installed a piezoelectric ceramic piece at least on support.The outlet of Waveguide array district is shaped as V-arrangement.
The present invention has found that by introduce an adjustable reflection unit on Waveguide array district center line of symmetry, a kind of dense wave division multiplexer/demodulation multiplexer of arrayed waveguide grating type of compact conformation can be provided, its chip manufacturing, device package are more simple, the influence of temperature can be reduced, and the tunable AWG of centre wavelength can be realized centre wavelength.The present invention provides the method for making of this device simultaneously.
The optical signal transmission that will contain a plurality of wavelength channels is advanced input waveguide 4, through waveguide zone 5 and Waveguide array district 6, flashlight is emitted from chip edge 15 by waveguide, again through reflecting element 11 reflections, return Waveguide array district 6 once more, and then the demultiplexing of process waveguide zone 5 and output waveguide 8 realization multi-wavelength signals.Grating equation by AWG
λ
0=n
EffΔ D/m as can be known, the central wavelength lambda of AWG
0Effective refractive index n by Waveguide array 6
Eff, length difference Δ D between Waveguide array district adjacent waveguide, and grating progression m decision.The invention provides a kind of like this array waveguide grating device, it comprises two parts that are installed on the same substrate 12:
(1) integrated waveguide chip 3, the array waveguide grating integrated optics chip that on silicon or other base material, forms by the whole bag of tricks such as deposition, photoetching, etching or diffusions, and this chip comprises:
---input waveguide 4, its effect are to link to each other with external fiber light signal is incorporated into waveguide zone;
---output waveguide 8, be in the same side of chip with output waveguide, its effect is that the different wave length light signal that focuses on waveguide zone that will be separated is drawn out on the external optical fiber;
---waveguide zone 5, link to each other with input waveguide, output waveguide and Waveguide array simultaneously, the many waveguides in Waveguide array district are distributed to input signal in its effect on the one hand, on the other hand the generation that reflects of Waveguide array district the light signal of phase differential interfere in this wave guide zone, and with the signal focus of different wave length with plane that output waveguide links to each other on;
---Waveguide array district 6, the one end links to each other with waveguide zone, the other end is the edge of chip, length difference has only half of conventional AWG Waveguide array length difference between its adjacent waveguide, its effect is to make the flashlight of propagating in the different waveguides produce phase differential equally, by interfering in waveguide zone the flashlight of different wave length is physically separated;
(2) mirror assembly, it comprises:
---reflector apparatus 11, this device are set in parallel in the chip edge end that links to each other with the Waveguide array district;
--- tunable arrangement 13,14, link to each other with catoptron, produce suitable amount of spin to reach the purpose of regulating centre wavelength.
Best is to utilize the thermal effect of the regulating reflection lens device regulated quantity compensation integrated device relevant with temperature; Simultaneously, because input, output waveguide are in same one side of chip, therefore input and output can a shared fiber array when device package, and those of ordinary skill in the art know like this can bring great convenience for device package.
For realizing these purposes of the present invention, we provide the manufacture method of this Waveguide array type dense wave division multiplexer/demodulation multiplexer, length difference has only half of common AWG Waveguide array length difference between its Waveguide array district adjacent waveguide, and Waveguide array directly outputs to flashlight outside the chip by perpendicular chip edge, in order to reach better optical property, can carry out suitable optical processing to this chip edge, for example end face polishing, plating anti-reflection film etc.In order to reduce loss, the adjustable mirror that is placed in the chip edge end that links to each other with the Waveguide array district will be tried one's best near chip, but must keep suitable distance, makes catoptron can suitably tilt to reach enough big centre wavelength regulated quantity.Those of ordinary skill in the art know, in order to obtain the more best performance of this AWG, need carry out more rational design to the shape in waveguide zone and Waveguide array district and change.
Fig. 2 has showed the synoptic diagram of a kind of embodiment of the present invention, and integrated waveguide chip 3 comprises an input waveguide 4, waveguide zone 5, Waveguide array district 6 and output waveguide 8.One end in Waveguide array district 6 is cut into the edge of chip, in order to reduce the wastage this end face being polished plated film (anti-reflection film) handles, form optics end face 15, mirror assembly comprises minute surface coating reflecting element 11 and support 13, support 14, is made of two kinds of different thermal expansion coefficient materials respectively.Integrated waveguide chip 3 is fixed in the same substrate 12 with mirror assembly.As can be seen from Figure 2, input waveguide 4, output waveguide 8 can encapsulate by a shared fiber array 9.Length difference when the angle of inclination between reflecting element 11 and the chip edge 15 changes between the Waveguide array district adjacent waveguide changes thereupon, thereby causes the centre wavelength of AWG to produce mobile.When temperature variation, constitute optical waveguide material since its refractive index of thermo-optic effect can change, by the formula of front as can be known the centre wavelength of AWG can drift about.And, promptly change length difference Δ D between Waveguide array district adjacent waveguide by changing the angle of inclination between reflecting element 11 and the chip edge 15, can compensate the drift of the centre wavelength that causes because of temperature variation.
Fig. 3 shows the simple principle that mirror assembly is realized temperature compensation.The invention provides a kind of method and compensate the AWG device because the centre wavelength that temperature variation produces is drifted about by angle of inclination between adjusting integrated waveguide chip 3 and the mirror assembly.Fig. 3 shows the simple principle of reflection subassembly temperature compensation.Tunable arrangement in the mirror assembly is made of support 13, support 14, two supports are made of two kinds of different thermal expansion coefficient materials respectively, when temperature raise, two stands can produce certain length difference and cause the inclination angle between reflecting element 11 and the chip edge 15 to change.On the contrary, rightabout variation can take place in the inclination angle when temperature reduces.Select the material of different heat expansion coefficient and the distance between the adjustment two stands, can change the relation of inclination angle, thereby satisfy the needs that the compensating device temperature variation causes the centre wavelength drift fully with variation of temperature.Fig. 3 is in order to clearly illustrate the principle of temperature compensation, and the inclination angle of having amplified between reflecting element 11 and the chip edge 15 changes.In the practical application, very little when the required inclination angle of compensates changes, according to the design parameter of general AWG, the inclination angle of the regulated quantity correspondence of centre wavelength 1nm changes less than 0.06 °, and therefore this adjusting can not bring device to insert the variation of loss.
Compensation to the device production tolerance is based on same principle.Because the tolerance of producing, the centre wavelength of channel often can not align with the centre wavelength of output waveguide 8, and this has just produced so-called centre wavelength drift, and this drift meeting is different because of device.The present invention mentions integrated waveguide chip 3 and is fixed in the same substrate 12 with mirror assembly, therefore only need suitably regulate the aligning that centre wavelength just can be realized between the two angle of inclination when chip 3 and mirror assembly are installed.
Fig. 4 is the embodiment synoptic diagram that the present invention realizes tunable AWG.As shown in FIG., increase the voltage adjustable mechanism 16,17 that two piezoelectrics constitute in the mirror assembly on the support 12,13 shown in Figure 2, when change is applied to voltage on the piezoelectric 16,17, the length of two supports can change within the specific limits, thereby cause that angle changes between chip 3 and the mirror assembly, and then regulate the centre wavelength of AWG.In order to realize adjusting in a big way, can improve with the waveguide outlet that catoptron 11 joins Waveguide array district 6.
Shown in Figure 5, change the waveguide in Waveguide array district 6 outlet shape into V-arrangement 18, can reduce centre wavelength device when regulating in a big way and insert the variable quantity of loss.