1.5 μm phase-controlled distributed feedback wavelength tunableoptical filter

A 1.5-μm phase-controlled distributed feedback wavelength-tunable optical filter is studied. This is the first optical filter which controls the transmissivity (gain) and the transmission wavelength independently. Wavelength tuning range as wide as 43 GHz (3.4 Å) with high constant gain of 27 dB has been achieved. A five-channel wavelength selection with less than -10 dB crosstalk is expected with this filter. This device also operates as a wavelength tunable laser, and the wavelength tuning range as a laser is larger than as a filter. The reason is studied, and it is shown that suppression of the submodes is important to expand the wavelength tuning range