Observation of enhanced group velocity dispersion in coupled waveguide structures

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