Tunable double notch filter on a thin-film lithium niobate platform

Abstract

Tunable optical filters at the chip scale play a crucial role in fulfilling the need for reconfigurability in channel routing, optical switching, and wavelength division multiplexing systems. In this Letter, we propose a tunable double notch filter on thin-film lithium niobate using dual microring architecture. This unique integrated filter is essential for complex photonic integrated circuits, along with multiple channels and various frequency spacing. With only one loaded voltage, the device demonstrates a wide frequency spacing tunability from 16.1 to 89.9 GHz by reversely tuning the resonances of the two microrings while the center wavelength between the two resonances remains unaltered. Moreover, by utilizing the pronounced electro-optic properties of lithium niobate associated with the tight light confined nanophotonic waveguides, the device demonstrates a spacing tunability of 0.82 GHz/V and a contrast of 10–16 dB. In addition, the device has an ultracompact footprint of 0.0248 mm2.