Wavelength and bandwidth-tunable silicon comb filter based on Sagnac loop mirrors with Mach-Zehnder interferometer couplers.

ABSTRACT

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a wavelength and bandwidth-tunable comb filter based on silicon Sagnac loop mirrors (SLMs) with Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) couplers. By thermally tuning the MZI couplers in common and differential modes, the phase shift and reflectivity of the SLMs can be changed, respectively, leading to tunable wavelength and bandwidth of the comb filter. The fabricated comb filter has 93 comb lines in the wavelength range from 1535 nm to 1565 nm spaced by ~0.322 nm. The central wavelength can be red-shifted by ~0.462 nm with a tuning efficiency of ~0.019 nm/mW. A continuously tunable bandwidth from 5.88 GHz to 24.89 GHz is also achieved with a differential heating power ranging from 0.00 mW to 0.53 mW.