Polarization-independent acoustically tunable optical filter

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Abstract
A polarization‐independent acoustically tunable optical filter is described, with 1.3 nm bandwidth and 145 nm tuning range demonstrated about a center wavelength of 1525 nm. Filtered and unfiltered beams exit from different ports of this 2×2 integrated‐optic structure fabricated on a LiNbO3 substrate. The filter conversion efficiency was 97% for unpolarized light, limited by imperfect splitting of the directional‐coupler polarizing beamsplitters. Using an unpolarized, 105‐nm‐wide light‐emitting diode as the optical source, 16 dB isolation of the filtered port was achieved, both with respect to the nearest nulls and the remote background spectrum.