Tunable Optical Frequency Comb Generation Applied to DWDM and 5G Networks

A hybrid optical frequency comb generator is demonstrated using two CW lasers modulated by a single-drive Mach-Zehnder Modulator (SD-MZM) and spectrally broadened through four-wave mixing in a highly nonlinear fiber (HNLF). The initial 150 GHz carrier spacing is converted into multiple equidistant tones across the C-band. By adjusting the MZM bias from 4.9 V to 5.25 V, the comb spacing is tuned from 50 GHz to 25 GHz, enabling flexible DWDM grid adaptation. The proposed architecture combines electro-optic and Kerr effects using standard components, making it suitable for $5 \mathrm{G} / 6 \mathrm{G}$ photonic systems and reconfigurable optical networks.