Tunable optical filter in fiber-optic form

Low-loss all-fiber acousto-optic tunable filter

We report significant advances in the development of simple all-fiber, tunable acousto-optic spectral filters based on null couplers. The performance agrees well with theoretical predictions and is attributed to improved control of the coupler uniformity. Furthermore, using a double-pass arrangement, we demonstrate filter bandwidth reduction and improved sidelobe suppression of -20 dB . The double-pass configuration is also shown to double the frequency shifts that are obtainable from such devices.

Narrow-band acousto-optic tunable filtering in a two-mode fiber

We demonstrate an optical filter that utilizes acousto-optic coupling between the spatial modes that propagate in a two-mode elliptical-core fiber. The optical bandwidth at 1090 nm is 0.85 nm, which is in agreement with predictions based on measurement of differential group delay between the modes. The filter is slightly polarization dependent, with a 0.28-nm wavelength difference between the passband peaks for the two polarization eigenstates. The optical insertion loss is dominated by 2-4-dB bending loss in nonoptimized mode strippers, and the coupling loss is negligible. Full acousto-optic mode conversion was achieved at an 8-mW electrical input power to the acoustic transducer.