Patent ID: 6697552
Filing Date: 2004-02-24
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
An optical wavelength router comprising:at least one input waveguide; an input slab waveguide optically coupled to the at least one input waveguide; an arrayed waveguide grating optically coupled to the input slab waveguide; an output slab waveguide optically coupled to the input slab waveguide via the arrayed waveguide grating; at least one output waveguide optically coupled to the output slab waveguide; and at least one dendritic taper region optically coupled to at least one of the input slab waveguide and output slab waveguide; the dendritic taper region including at least one dendritic taper; the dendritic taper including a trunk having a first end and a second end; the dendritic taper including at least one branch optically coupled to the trunk; wherein the trunk has a width that increases monotonically from the first end to the second end such that the increase in width does not exceed approximately 2 &mgr;m per approximately 1 &mgr;m traversed from the first end to the second end.