Tunable narrowband filter based on a combination of Fabry-Perot etalon and volume Bragg grating

Abstract

A new type of tunable narrowband filter is proposed. This filter is a combination of a Fabry-Perot etalon, which permits the selection of a comb of discrete narrow bands, and a high-efficiency rotating volume Bragg grating recorded in photo-thermo-refractive glass, which permits tuning between the Fabry-Perot resonances. A tunable filter for fixed wavelengths in the region of 1.5 mum with a spectral width of 220 pm (FWHM), separation between channels of 800 pm, and throughput of 95% (losses <0.2 dB) is demonstrated.