Experimental Demonstration of Dynamic Bandwidth Allocation Using a MEMS-Actuated Bandwidth-Tunable Microdisk Resonator Filter

A novel bandwidth-tunable optical filter based on a microelectromechanical-system-actuated microdisk resonator is utilized for dynamic bandwidth allocation. The filter bandwidth can be dynamically adjusted by voltage tuning the gap spacing between the two waveguides and microdisk. Three key applications of dynamic bandwidth allocation are demonstrated experimentally. Matched optical filtering is achieved on 5-Gb/s nonreturn-to-zero (NRZ) signals with error-free ( 10
^-9
bit-error-rate) data transmission. Reconfigurable channel banding of three 2.5-Gb/s NRZ signals is demonstrated by either routing a single or a group of data channels. Wavelength demultiplexing of three channels under the worst-case scenario shows 14.5-dB suppression with error-free operation.