Fiber-optic tunable multiwavelength variable attenuator and routing module designs that use bulk acousto-optics

A compact fiber-coupled bulk acousto-optical multiwavelength variable optical attenuator module design that uses a retroreflective double-pass geometry within a single bulk acousto-optic tunable filter device is presented. The proposed attenuator module demonstrates a high 17-dB notch dynamic range at a low 100-mW drive power and uses a single bulk collinear-interaction acousto-optic tunable-filter device. Experiments show a low (<1.8-dB) fiber-to-fiber insertion loss with a fast 34-μs speed within a wide 1520-1640-nm agile multinotch band. The basic broadband attenuator module design is extended to allow for efficient architectures for routing modules such as agile drop filters, analog hitless tap filters, and digital add-drop switches.