Transmission type tunable wavelength filters based on polymer waveguide Bragg reflectors

In WDM communication systems, a compact low-cost tunable wavelength filter is highly demanded. Polymeric Bragg reflector devices are suitable for this purpose because the large thermo-optic effect of the polymer enables widely tunable wavelength filters with simple device structure. To direct the filtered signal in the forward direction rather than the backward direction, a waveguide mirror device is integrated. A compact package was then achieved by attaching a fiber-connecting receptacle and a high-speed PD on each side of the chip. The tunable filter exhibited a tuning range of 14 nm, a 3-dB bandwidth of 0.45 nm, and a 15-dB bandwidth of 1.54 nm. The device exhibited a low polarization dependence of 0.08 nm, which is the first demonstration in polymeric tunable filters.