Multistage dispersion compensator using ring resonators

A compact, multichannel dispersion-compensating filter is demonstrated with D=-4200 ps/nm, a +/-5-ps group delay ripple, <3-dB loss, and a 4.5-GHz passband width out of a 12.5-GHz free spectral range. We show that multistage designs can achieve a substantial increase in passband width and peak dispersion for a given group-delay ripple compared with single-stage designs. The dispersion-compensation effectiveness was demonstrated in a 320-km, seven-channel nonlinear system simulation for OC48 signals.