A Tunable Lyot Birefringent Filter With Variable Channel Spacing and Wavelength Using Nonlinear Polarization Rotation in an SOA

We experimentally demonstrate a tunable fiber-optical Lyot birefringent comb filter with independent tuning of the channel spacing and wavelength. The filter configuration is based on sandwiching a fiber-optic programmable differential group delay line (DGDL) and a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) between two polarizers. The channel spacing of the filter can be tuned by adjusting the programmable DGDL. Using the nonlinear polarization rotation effect in the SOA, the phase shift between the transverse electric and the transverse magnetic components of the input probe beam can be adjusted by varying the power of the pump light, and hence fast and continuously wavelength tuning of the filter can also be achieved. The wavelength tuning range is up to 50% of the channel spacing when the pump power is increased from -10 to 17 dBm.