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A key component in optical systems: the silica-based arrayed waveguide grating (de)multiplexer. Overview and perspectives

Un Composant Clé Dans Les Systèmes Optiques: le Démultiplexeur en Longueur D’Onde à Base de Réseau de Guides D’Onde sur Silice. Synthèse et Perspectives

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Abstract

In the ten past years, the telecommunication industry has experienced an unprecedented growth rate. To follow the exponential Bandwidth demand, new transmission technologies have emerged. Amongst them, we find Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) technology. Its appearance coinciding with the emergence of key optical functions.

This paper addresses one of these key optical functions, today an absolute must: wavelength demultiplexing. This function can be realized thanks to a demultiplexer, also named AWG, the acronym for Arrayed Waveguide Gratings. It took only ten years to transform the first research experiments into real commercial products: demultiplexers using a silica on silicon planar platform.

This platform allowed yesterday the realization of demultiplexer AWG-products, managing high channels count at a relatively low cost, today this same platform allows the integration of complex optical functions with a more drastic cost reduction. As for tomorrow, transmission systems will continue to require new signal processing functions to permit high bit rate transmission. Once again, the AWG can play a key role.

Résumé

Ces dix dernières années, l’industrie des télécommunications a connu une croissance sans précédent. Afin de satisfaire la demande exponentielle en bande passante, de nouvelles technologies de transmission ont vu le jour. Parmi elles, se trouve la technologie de multiplexage en longueur d’onde, diteWDM (Wavelength Division Multiplexing). Son apparition s’est accompagnée de l’émergence de fonctions optiques clés.

Cet article a pour objet de faire un point sur l’une de ces fonctions optiques clés aujourd’hui incontournable: le démultiplexage en longueur d’onde. Cette fonction peut être réalisée grâce à un démultiplexeur autrement appelé AWG, cet acronyme reprenant l’anglais Arrayed Waveguide Grating (réseaux de guides d’onde). Il a fallu dix ans seulement pour que les premières expériences de laboratoires se transforment en véritables produits commerciaux: des démultiplexeurs utilisant une plate-forme planaire en silice sur silicium.

Si cette plate-forme planaire permettait hier de réaliser des produits AWG démultiplexeurs gérant un grand nombre de canaux pour un coût relativement faible, aujourd’hui, cette même plate-forme permet l’intégration de fonctions optiques complexes et une réduction encore plus drastique des coûts. Quant à demain, les systèmes de transmission continueront de requérir de nouvelles fonctions de traitement optique du signal pour permettre la transmission à très haut débit. Une fois encore, l’AWG peut jouer un rôle primordial.

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  1. Avanex France, Route de Villejust, 91625, Nozay, Cedex, France

    Arnaud Rigny

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Rigny, A. A key component in optical systems: the silica-based arrayed waveguide grating (de)multiplexer. Overview and perspectives. Ann. Télécommun. 58, 1307–1341 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03001733

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