Measurement of slowly varying component in phase error distribution of a large-channel-spacing arrayed-waveguide grating

It has been difficult to measure the phase error distribution of a large-channel-spacing arrayed-waveguide grating (AWG) with optical low coherence interferometry (OLCI). In this reported work OLCI was successfully used to measure the slowly varying component in the distribution of a 1 THz-spaced AWG that was the primary filter in an ultra-high-density multi/demultiplexer. The spectral sidelobe of the AWG can be reduced by using the component to achieve the lowest possible accumulated crosstalk in the multi/demultiplexer.