Polarization insensitive ion-exchanged arrayed-waveguide grating multiplexers in glass

Wavelength multiplexers based on the arrayed-waveguide grating (AWG) principle are fabricated with ion-exchanged waveguides in glass for 1550 nm. The insertion loss is 6 and 4 dB with a cross talk of -15 and -20 dB for 8-channel / 50 GHz and 4-channel / 100 GHz devices, respectively The AWGs are almost polarization insensitive because the refractive index profile of the waveguides is nearly concentric and the waveguides are diffused into stress-fr ee glass substrates. The transverse electric / transverse magnetic (TE / TM) shift of the wavelength response is only 0.02 nm (2.5 GHz) for an 8-channel / 50 GHz AWG. The temperature sensitivity is 1.4 GHz / degrees C.