Tunable dispersion equalizer with a divided thin film heater

We developed tunable dispersion equalizer with a chirped fiber grating and a divided thin film heater composed thirty-two thin film heaters. The divided thin film heater took an important role in the control of dispersion and dispersion slope, moreover the correction of group delay ripples. We successfully demonstrated the dispersion change from -304 ps/nm to -196 ps/nm and the dispersion slope change from +100 ps/nm/sup 2/ to -300 ps/nm/sup 2/.