Patent ID: 6574397
Filing Date: 2003-06-03
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
An optical multiplexer/demultiplexer comprising:a substrate; first and second slab waveguides, each having a predetermined slab length, disposed on said substrate; at least one input waveguide, disposed on said substrate, having an optical output end optically connected to an optical input end face of said first slab waveguide; a plurality of output waveguides two-dimensionally arranged on said substrate while in a state where respective optical input ends thereof are optically connected to an optical output end face of said second slab waveguide, said output waveguides being provided so as to correspond to respective signal channels having wavelengths different from each other; and n (&gE;3) channel waveguides two-dimensionally arranged on said substrate while in a state where an optical input end of each channel waveguide is optically connected to an optical output end face of said first slab waveguide so as to sandwich said first slab waveguide together with said input waveguide whereas an optical output end of each channel waveguide is optically connected to an optical input end face of said second slab waveguide so as to sandwich said second slab waveguide together with said output waveguides, said channel waveguides having respective lengths different from each other; wherein a first channel waveguide selected from said n channel waveguides and a second channel waveguide adjacent said first channel waveguide on one side thereof have an optical path length difference therebetween different from that between said first channel waveguide and a third channel waveguide adjacent said first channel waveguide on the other side thereof, and wherein at least one of said optical output end face of said first slab waveguide and said optical input end face of said second slab waveguide each connected to said n channel waveguides has a form extending along a straight line intersecting said n channel waveguides.