Reconfigurable microwave photonic filter based on tunable dispersion-induced power fading in a dispersive element

We propose and demonstrate a reconfigurable microwave photonic filter (MPF) based on tunable dispersion-induced power fading (DIPF) in a dispersive element. A multi-wavelength optical signal is used to generate the multi-taps of the MPF. A polarization modulator (PolM), a polarization controller (PC), and a polarizer are cascaded to build a new modulator which can be regarded as an intensity modulator, a phase modulator, or an intensity and phase hybrid modulator by adjusting the PC. A dispersive element is followed after the PC to generate the DIPF which is controllable by tuning the PC. In this way, the MPF is reconfigurable and tunable. The proposed method is theoretically analyzed and experimentally verified. The simulated results fit well with the experimental ones.