Second-order all-fiber comb filter based on polarization-diversity loop configuration

By concatenating three birefringence loops in series, a second-order all-fiber comb filter based on a polarization-diversity loop configuration is newly proposed. The proposed filter consists of one polarization beam splitter, polarization-maintaining fibers, and two halfwave plates. The effect of a second-order structure of polarization-maintaining fiber loops on a bandwidth of the filter passband was theoretically analyzed and experimentally demonstrated. Transmission output of the second-order filter (flat-top and narrow-band transmission spectra) could be obtained by adjusting two half-wave plates. 1 and 3 dB bandwidths of the proposed filter in flat-top and narrow-band operations were greater by approximately 102.9 and 44.3 % and smaller by approximately 47.9 and 47.1 % than those of a conventional Sagnac birefringence filter, respectively.