Broadband high-order mode pass filter based on mode conversion

We report a unique concept to implement a high-order mode pass filter using mode converters. Our proposed design method implements a high-order mode pass filter of any order, uses different mode converters available, and applies to a variety of planar lightwave circuit material platforms. We fabricate a broadband fundamental mode filter device using a Mach-Zehnder interferometer and Y-junctions to demonstrate our idea. The performance of the fabricated device is demonstrated experimentally in the wavelength range of 1.530-1.565 μm (C-band). This filter exhibits a simulated extinction ratio of 37 dB with an excess loss of 0.52 dB for the first-order mode transmission.