Automated tuning of a ring-assisted MZI-based interleaver for Kerr frequency combs

Opt Lett. 2025 Jan 15;50(2):698-701. doi: 10.1364/OL.546772.

Abstract

We demonstrate a compact ring-assisted Mach-Zehnder interferometer (RAMZI)-based silicon photonic interleaver with a 400 GHz free spectral range (FSR), featuring flat passbands exceeding a spectral range of 50 nm. Additionally, we introduce a novel, to the best of our knowledge, add-on structure and tuning method enabling automated compensation for fabrication imperfections, precise shaping of the RAMZI flat-top passbands, and alignment with Kerr comb lines. Experimental results have shown successful interleaving of eight channels of distributed-feedback (DFB) lasers as well as a 200 GHz Kerr comb, both achieving an extinction ratio of approximately 20 dB.