Demonstration of the MEMS digital micromirror device-based broadband reconfigurable optical add-drop filter for dense wavelength-division-multiplexing systems

For the first time, an optimized optical add-drop filter (OADF) for dense wavelength-division-multiplexing systems is demonstrated using the Texas Instruments microelectro-mechanical-system Digital Micromirror Device (DMD™). This OADF features a polarization-insensitive fault-tolerant broadband operation, low loss, and the ability to selectively add/drop with high-wavelength-resolution multiple channels in the C telecommunications band. The proof-of-concept OADF designed for the C-band demonstrates low insertion loss, 0.15-dB polarization dependent loss, 3-dB wavelength resolution of 0.4 nm, and an average crosstalk of better than 30 dB. With the use of a reference mirror, the OADF becomes a multiwavelength 2 × 2 routing switch.