Analysis of multimode effects in the free-propagation region of a silicon-on-insulator-based arrayed-waveguide grating demultiplexer

Multimode effects in the free-propagation regions (FPRs) of an arrayed-waveguide grating (AWG) demultiplexer based on silicon-on-insulator are considered. Some undesired multimode effects, such as the increase of the insertion loss and the cross talk, are studied by use of a method of three-dimensional guided-mode propagation analysis. It is found that the multimode effects for the edge channels are more serious than those for the central channel. For an AWG demultiplexer with a small channel number, the multimode effects can be minimized by choosing appropriate FPR parameters such as the length and the thickness of the FPR. The coupling coefficient between the FPR and an arrayed waveguide is sensitive to the thickness of the FPR.