Waveguide superlattices, a special type of waveguide arrays, can be designed to achieve very low cross talk at submicrometer/subwavelength pitches. The theoretical framework and design rationales for such waveguide superlattices will be presented in depth. Waveguide sidewall roughness can help to deter the coherent coupling between identical waveguides in nearby supercells, but it also induces random fluctuation of transmission. Statistical behavior of the transmission due to roughness in a waveguide superlattice is systematically treated. Complex transmission characteristics due to spectral oscillation and random roughness will be presented, and their evolution with the superlattice length will be analyzed.Institutions.