An object of the present invention is to provide a
multiplexer/demultiplexer capable of preventing a decrease in
multiplexing/demultiplexing efficiency due to an error in wavelength or
due to a crosstalk with other wavelengths. A two-dimensional photonic
crystal having holes 22 cyclically arranged is provided with an input
waveguide 23 and an output waveguide 24. Located between the two
waveguides are two point-like defects 25 and 26, each consisting of a
region devoid of the holes 22. From the light including various
wavelengths and propagating through the input waveguide 23, the two
point-like defects extract a ray of light having a wavelength determined
by the shape of the point-like defects and introduce it into the output
waveguide 24. Compared with the case where there is only one point-like
defect, the above-described construction increases the values of the
wavelength spectrum of the extracted light at around the resonance
wavelength and decreases the values at the wavelength range far from the
resonance wavelength. Therefore, the increase in the values of the
wavelength spectrum at around the resonance wavelength ensures that the
light having the desired wavelength can be extracted from the waveguide
by a large amount even if the wavelength of the light propagating through
the waveguide is erroneously shifted from the resonance frequency.
Occurrence of noises within a wavelength range far from the resonance
wavelength and extraction of light having the wavelengths of adjacent
channels are also suppressed.