Tunable Flat-Top Filtering Response in Cascaded Resonant Waveguide Gratings

Abstract

The applicability of resonant waveguide grating (RWG)-based structures as filters to control the spectral response in an optical communication system is investigated. A new physical model for the structure is established on the basis of the Fabry-Pérot (FP) etalon model and coupled leaky mode theory (CLMT). It is found that the flat-top spectral response of the filter is achieved by the combined effect of the guided-mode resonance of an RWG and its Fabry-Pérot resonance (FPR). The bandwidth-tunable spectral response of the filter can be varied according to the change in the eigenvalues of the RWG by changing the structural parameters such as strip width of the grating and incident angle. The flat-top and bandwidth-tunable RWG-based resonant filter is a promising application for high-performance optical communication systems.