Silicon monolithic wavelength selective switch utilizing arrayed waveguide gratings and Bragg grating filters

Abstract

A monolithic wavelength selective switch (WSS) using a silicon waveguide was fabricated and its characteristics were measured. The crosstalk of the silicon arrayed-waveguide grating (AWG) is reduced by introducing a Bragg grating filter (BGF), which can realize a waveguide type WSS with both fast switching and low crosstalk performance. The extinction ratio of the BGF was approximately 20dB with a 3-dB bandwidth of 0.6nm. The AWG had an average loss of 9.5dB with a large second peak crosstalk. Switching experiments showed that the total loss averaged 20.5dB, the crosstalk averaged -13.9dB, and that switching responses were 13µs for both the rise and fall.