Bandwidth Tunable Optical Bandpass Filter Based on Parity-Time Symmetry

A chip-scale tunable optical filter is indispensable to meeting the demand for reconfigurability in wavelength division multiplexing systems, channel routing, and switching, etc. Here, we propose a new scheme of bandwidth tunable band-pass filters based on a parity-time (PT) symmetric coupled microresonator system. Large bandwidth tunability is realized on the basis of the tuning of the relative resonant frequency between coupled rings and by making use of the concept of the exception point (EP) in the PT symmetric systems. Theoretical investigations show that the bandwidth tuning range depends on the intrinsic loss of the microresonators, as well as on the loss contrast between the two cavities. Our proof-of-concept device confirms the tunability and shows a bandwidth tuning range from 21 GHz to 49 GHz, with an extinction ratio larger than 15 dB. The discrepancy between theory and experiment is due to the non-optimized design of the coupling coefficients, as well as to fabrication errors. Our design based on PT symmetry shows a distinct route towards the realization of tunable band-pass filters, providing new ways to explore non-Hermitian light manipulation in conventional integrated devices.