Title :
Digitally tunable wavelength filter and laser
Author :
Parker, M.C. ; Mears, R.J.
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Eng., Cambridge Univ., UK
Abstract :
A novel nonmechanical, digitally tunable, polarization insensitive and optically transparent wavelength filter using holograms electro-optically written on a ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) spatial light modulator (SLM) has been constructed and operated to tune to discrete wavelengths spaced by 1.3 nm. The filter has been incorporated in a ring laser which is tunable over a range of 38.5 nm across the erbium window, giving output powers of 10 mW. Both wavelength filter and tunable laser are suitable for wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) applications.
Keywords :
ferroelectric liquid crystals; holography; laser tuning; light polarisation; liquid crystal devices; optical communication equipment; optical filters; ring lasers; spatial light modulators; transparency; wavelength division multiplexing; 10 mW; WDM; digitally tunable wavelength filter; discrete wavelengths; erbium window; ferroelectric liquid crystal spatial light modulator; nonmechanical digitally tunable polarization insensitive optically transparent wavelength filter; output powers; ring laser tuning; tunable laser; wavelength division multiplexing; wavelength filter; Digital filters; Ferroelectric materials; Laser tuning; Lasers and electrooptics; Optical filters; Optical modulation; Optical polarization; Ring lasers; Tunable circuits and devices; Wavelength division multiplexing;
Journal_Title :
Photonics Technology Letters, IEEE
