Tunable all-optical microwave notch filter with a negative tap based on a semiconductor optical amplifier and a dispersive medium

A tunable all-optical microwave notch filter with a negative tap based on a semiconductor optical amplifier and a dispersive medium is demonstrated. A negative tap is realized through the cross gain modulation in the semiconductor optical amplifier. The free spectrum range of the notch filter can be tuned by tuning the wavelength of one of the two laser sources. The influence of the amplitude mismatch of the two lasers on the performance of the filter is analyzed. The present notch filter is easy to implement and cost-effective.