Synthesis of One-Input M-Output Optical FIR Lattice Circuits

This paper presents a one-input M-output (1 X M) circuit configuration and a synthesis algorithm for realizing an optical finite impulse response (FIR) lattice filter having M output channels (M ≥ 2). The circuit configuration has a multilayer structure consisting of multiple Mach-Zehnder interferometers with delay time differences of zero or Δt. It is a natural extension of the conventional two-port optical FIR lattice circuit (M = 2). The proposed synthesis algorithm is based on factorizations of the paraunitary total transfer matrix. It realizes output responses having highest orders equal to the number of stages for all output channels. It is shown that such a synthesis algorithm maximizes the degrees of freedom for designing output responses. Two kinds of five-channel interleave filters are demonstrated as synthesized examples: one has a flat group delay response while the other has an inclined group delay response.