Composed of two synchronous awgs in series on one chip, resulting in ultra-low insertion loss, flat-top bandpass shape and single-mode output. It was broadx Technologies that introduced the new AWG cascading technology.
The company's first product to use AWG cascading technology is a multiplexing/demultiplexing chip for quad-channel CWDM applications in data center transceivers. This new product offers best-in-class insertion loss as low as 2dB over the full 13nm flat-top passband, true single-mode output, all in a compact 9mm x 3mm footprint. As data rates continue to increase, single-mode optical transmission is becoming more and more desirable.
In WDM applications, the single-mode output beam from the AWG cascade can be focused to a smaller diffraction-limited spot in the ever-shrinking active area of high-speed photodetectors, which eases assembly tolerances and improves signal strength . Single-mode beams also allow efficient direct coupling from AWG cascade chips to silicon photonic grating couplers and waveguides
AWG cascaded chips will initially be available in a single pair of 1 × 4 AWG cascaded and a double pair of 2 × 8 dual-density (DD) AWG cascaded layouts. These chips are suitable for use as multiplexer/demultiplexer pairs or 8-channel applications such as FR8 or LR8. Bendy AWG cascades can also be laid out efficiently, providing up to 64 separate AWG cascades on a single chip, ideal for CPO for next-generation multiterabit applications.
Solutions customized for AWG Cascade products include angular input and output polish, port locations, alignment characteristics, loopback waveguides, die size and connector type. And there are many forms, from wafers to connected chips and modules, to meet customer needs.
Dr Henk Burtus, Head of Technology Design and Research at Broadex UK, said, "Compared to traditional AWG and thin film methods, it enables best-in-class optical performance while offering lower packaging costs, and broadx's AWG cascade technology A game changer for the next generation of WDM applications." He led the development of the technology. A single AWG cascade structure can also be easily stacked and expanded for multi-channel and multi-port configurations. In fact, the number of advantages increases with the number of devices on a chip. "
