A linearized thermal and optical model of an optical integrated circuit
can be used to temperature-stabilize one or more optical elements of the
circuit using active temperature regulation. To stabilize a single
optical element, a temperature sensor and a heater can be provided
proximate to the grating. Thermal and optical coefficients can be then
used to select an appropriate temperature set-point for the temperature
controller that receives readings from the sensor and determines the
power dissipated in the heater. Multiple optical elements can be
stabilized individually, using the same process and lumping cross-heating
factors together with other environmental factors. Alternatively,
multiple AWG's can be stabilized using fewer sensors than optical
elements, by stabilizing one of the optical elements in the same manner
as in the case of a single optical elements, and determining power
dissipated in the heaters of the remaining optical elements based on the
linearized model.