Observation of enhanced group velocity dispersion in coupled waveguide structures

Enhanced group velocity dispersion (GVD) due to coupled-waveguide modes (su permodes) has been experimentally observed, for the first time, using an In GaAsP/InP semiconductor coupled waveguide structure, The observed waveguide dispersion, which was due to supermodes, was about 10(3) times as large as that due to single-waveguide modes. Preliminary experimental results on th e compression of a chirped pulse using coupled-waveguide structures is also presented, and shows its potential for use in a simple, compact, and trans missive dispersion compensator or pulse compressor.