Fast fiber-optic tunable filter based on axial compression on a fiber Bragg grating.
We describe the design, fabrication, and performance of a fiber Bragg grating-based tunable optic filter. The filter, driven by two piezostacks, consists of a flexural hinge structure for displacement magnification and a fiber-ferrule assembly for axial compression of the fiber grating. Finite-element analysis was used to design the mechanical structure to achieve the required displacement magnification and the force for grating compression. A passive thermal compensation design was implemented to reduce thermal-induced wavelength drift. A feedback control system with a linear variable differential transformer was employed to control the displacement for accurate wavelength tuning and fine-tuning resolution. This tunable filter has achieved a closed-loop switching time of 17.3 ms, and a passive thermal compensation that reduced the thermal drift of the Bragg wavelength to 1.5 pm/C. The flexural-hinge structure that offers negligible backlash, noise-free motion, no need of lubricants, and no wear ensures its long-term reliability.