A multi-objective genetic algorithm is tailored to optimize the design of a wavelength interleaver/deinterleaver device. An interleaver combines data streams from two physical channels into one. The deinterleaver does the opposite job. The WDM requirements for this device include channel spacing of 50 GHz, channel bandwidth of 20 GHz, free spectral range of 100 GHz, maximum channel dispersion of 30 ps/nm, and maximum crosstalk of −23 dB. The challenges for the optimization process include the lack of a closed-form expression for the device performance and the trade-off between the conflicting performance parameters. So, for this multi-objective problem, the proposed approach maneuvers to find a compromise between the performance parameters within a few minutes, saving the designer the laborious design process previously proposed in the literature, which relies on visually inspecting the Z-plane for the dynamics of the transmission poles and zeros. Designs of better performance are achieved, with fewer ring resonators, a channel dispersion as low as 1.6 ps/nm, and crosstalk as low as −30 dB.
