Patent ID: 7058262

Claim:
An arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) device comprising: first and second slab couplers between which an input optical signal propagates front a first position on a first side of the first slab coupler to a second position on a second side of the second slab coupler, a correspondence between said first and second positions depending upon a wavelength of the optical signal; a plurality of array waveguides coupled between a second side of the first slab coupler and a first side of the second slab coupler; and a plurality of output waveguides coupled at one end to the second side of the second slab coupler; wherein the output waveguides are arranged to fan-out from the second slab coupler in a fan-out region of the device which comprises an initial portion of the length of each output waveguide, and the waveguides in the fan-out region are substantially identically curved in at least portion of the fan-out region adjacent the respective tapered ends thereof.