Tunable thin film filters based on thermo-optic semiconductor films

Abstract

Thermo-optic layers of thin film semiconductors are deposited by PEVCD to create thermally tunable bandpass filters for WDM optical networks. Amorphous semiconductor films, adapted from the solar cell and display industries, are the primary ingredient. Single-cavity tunable filters with FWHM=0.085 nm, >40 nm tuning range, and insertion losses 0.2-4 dB are demonstrated. Key enablers for this new family of index-tunable thin film devices are PECVD deposition, large internal temperature changes >400C, high conductivity polysilicon heater films, and extremely robust film adhesion. Possible applications include optical monitoring, add/drop multiplexing, dynamic gain equalization, and dispersion compensation.