Patent ID: 6519380
Filing Date: 2003-02-11
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
An athermalized optical telecommunications wavelength division multiplexer/demultiplexer integrated waveguide circuit device, said device comprising:a planar substrate including a waveguide undercladding, which can be a buffer layer or the substrate itself; a doped silica waveguide circuit core supported on said planar substrate, wherein said silica waveguide circuit core includes a multiplexing/demultiplexing circuit region for multiplexing/demultiplexing a plurality of optical telecommunications wavelength channels; an inhomogeneous waveguide circuit overcladding including a first waveguide overcladding material and a second waveguide overcladding material; wherein said device guides optical telecommunications light in a waveguide core power distribution, in a waveguide undercladding power distribution and in a waveguide overcladding power distribution, wherein a first portion of light guided in said waveguide overcladding power distribution is guided through said first waveguide overcladding material and a second portion of light guided in said waveguide overcladding power distribution is guided through said second waveguide overcladding material such that a thermally induced wavelength shift in the channel wavelengths of said multiplexing/demultiplexing device is inhibited to less than 0.10 nm when said device is subjected to a temperature variation within the range of 0 to 70Â° C.