Efficient color routing with a dispersion-controlled waveguide array

Splitting white light into its constituent spectral components has been of interest ever since Newton first discovered the phenomenon of color separation. Many devices have since been conceived to achieve efficient wavelength separation, yet a large number of applications, e. g., in display technology, still use simple color absorption or rejection filters that absorb or reflect unwanted wavelengths, thus wasting luminous energy. Here, we demonstrate a novel microsized device concept that enables efficient color routing. The device operation is based on differential material dispersion in a waveguide array, which causes different wavelength signals to couple selectively into appropriate waveguides. A theoretical power delivery of greater than 50% for a tricolor wavelength router is obtained, compared to 33% expected from geometry alone. The principle of operation is demonstrated experimentally for a dual-color light field, where we achieve a higher than 70% routing efficiency (compared to 50% from geometry), thus highlighting the feasibility of this novel and promising approach.