Polymer-based waveguide devices for WDM applications

This paper summarizes the work currently in progress at CRC Canada on wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) components based on polymer waveguide devices for operation at 1550 nm. Planar arrayed waveguide gratings (AWGs) of various bandwidths were designed, fabricated and tested using acrylate polymer materials developed by AlliedSignal Inc.. Eight-channel polymer demultiplexers fabricated by standard lithography show on-chip losses of 8 dB and a crosstalk of -25 dB between channels spaced 1.6 nm apart. Owing to the thermo-optic properties of these polymers, the spectral response of the devices can be tuned by more than 7 nm without changes in optical crosstalk or on-chip loss. Very compact AWGs made with AlliedSignal polymers are being designed and tested to address the need for cost effective, high bandwidth optical components in the telecom and datacom industries.