title: Flattopped tunable wavelength-division-multiplexer filter design.
abstract: We present what is to our knowledge the first design of a tunable optical filter with a flattopped passband. The filter consists of a Fabry-Perot etalon with multiple reflection gratings as dielectric mirrors. Wavelength tunability is achieved by modulation of the refractive indices of the cavity and the dielectric mirrors. Specifically, a filter with a 1-nm linewidth and a 40-nm wavelength-tuning range is designed for applications in wavelength-division-multiplexing (WDM) optical fiber communication systems. We also discuss several factors, including absorption and variations of other design parameters, that may affect the performance of the filter.
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical Engineering, 225 Applied Sciences Building, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California 95064, USA. myang@cse.ucsc.edu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gu