Waveguide-arrayed optical wavelength multiplexer/demultiplexer and fabrication method of the same

Abstract

To provide a waveguide-arrayed optical wavelength multiplexer/demultiplexer in which a mode configuration of a waveguide slab output part is matched to a mode configuration of waveguide array input parts, to achieve a reduced loss irrespective of distances between arrayed waveguides, and a manufacturing method of the same, a wavelength multiplexer/demultiplexer ( ) is formed on a substrate ( ) with a plurality of input waveguides ( ) for inputting wavelength division multiplexed optical signals, an output waveguide ( ) for combining the wavelength division multiplexed optical signals to be output, a waveguide array ( ) as a set of arrayed waveguides ( ) having predetermined waveguide length differences (&Dgr;L), an input waveguide slab ( ) for interconnecting the plurality of input waveguides ( ) and the waveguide array ( ), and an output waveguide slab ( ) for interconnecting the waveguide array ( ) and the output waveguide ( ), and the input waveguide slab ( ) and the output waveguide slab ( ) are configured to have their intended refractivity distributions ( ).