Eight-channel reconfigurable microring filters with tunable frequency, extinction ratio and bandwidth

Hao Shen, Purdue University - Main Campus
Maroof H. Khan, Birck Nanotechnology Center, Purdue University
Li Fan, Purdue University - Main Campus
Lin Zhao, Purdue University - Main Campus
Yi Xuan, Purdue University - Main Campus
Jing Ouyang, Purdue University - Main Campus
Leo T. Varghese, Purdue University - Main Campus
Minghao Qi, Birck Nanotechnology Center, Purdue University

Date of this Version

8-2010

Citation

ISSN: 1094-4087

This document has been peer-reviewed.

 

Abstract

We demonstrate an eight-channel reconfigurable optical filter on a silicon chip. It consists of cascaded microring resonators and integrated compact heaters. With an embedded Mach-Zehnder (MZ) arm coupling to a microring resonator, the important parameters of a filter such as center frequency, extinction ratio and bandwidth can be controlled simultaneously for purposes of filtering, routing and spectral shaping. Thus our device could potentially be useful in dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) and radio frequency arbitrary waveform generation (RFAWG). Multichannel filter response was successfully tuned to match the International Telecommunication Unit (ITU) grid with 50, 100 and 200GHz in channel spacing. Programmable channel selectivity was demonstrated by heating the MZ arm, and continuous adjustment of through-port extinction ratio from 0dB to 27dB was achieved. Meanwhile, the 3dB bandwidth in the drop port changed from 0.12nm to 0.16nm. The device had an ultra-compact footprint (1200 mu mx100 mu m) excluding the metal leads and contact pads, making it suitable for large scale integration.

Discipline(s)

Engineering | Nanoscience and Nanotechnology

 

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