Compact continuously tunable microwave photonic filters based on cascaded silicon microring resonators

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a photonic approach to achieving tunable bandpass microwave photonic filters (MPFs) based on cascaded microring resonators (CMRRs). The optical spectrum of the silicon CMRRs could offer two bandpass response to separately filter the optical carrier and one of the sidebands generated by the phase modulation. Thus we could achieve a bandpass MPF. Moreover, as the central frequencies and bandwidths of the two bandpass response can be tuned by adjusting the laser wavelength and voltages applied on one MRR, the central operating frequency or 3-dB bandwidth of the MPF can be continuously tuned in wide ranges respectively. A proof-of-concept experiment illustrates a central frequency tuning range from 19 GHz to 40 GHz, and a wide bandwidth tuning range from 5.5 GHz to 17.5 GHz.