Photonic Microwave Signal Processing Based on Opto-VLSI Technology

Abstract

The processing of radio frequency (RF) and microwave signals in the optical domain is an attractive approach to overcome the bottlenecks of bandwidth, power loss, and electromagnetic interference (EMI) encountered in conventional electronic signal processing systems. A wide range of emerging RF signal processing applications require specifically high resolution, ultra-wide bandwidth, wide-range tunability, and fast reconfigurability. While these requirements are difficult to achieve using conventional all-electronic processing, they are feasible with photonics-based signal processing. Holography is an historic technology that allows the light scattered from an object to be recorded and reconstructed so that the object can reappear when a reference optical beam illuminates a hologram used to record that object. Holography has a wide range of applications such as optical signal storage and retrieval and information processing. The application of reconfigurable phase holograms to realize optical beam steering is an attractive field for either optical engineering or fundamental research. The reconfigurable phase holograms are calculated from the targeted beam steering pattern and implemented using spatial light modulator. Opto-VLSI processors are one of these devices that can dynamically generate phase holograms and perform optical beam steering. Although full-electronic RF signal processing is very flexible and controllable, it is experiencing the bottlenecks of bandwidth and EMI. Processing microwave signals in the photonic domain can overcome the bottlenecks in the electronic signal processing. However the current technologies of microwave photonics have limited flexibility and reconfigurability. The Opto-VLSI technology is a novel and potential discipline that combine benefits of photonic devices and the intelligence plus processing capabilities of Very-LargeScale Integrated (VLSI) circuits. It integrates intelligence into photonic systems providing a new foundation for a future information processing and communication systems and networks. This book chapter will discuss a new methodology of expanding the use of OptoVLSI from the conventional paradigm of optical beam processing to a new frontier of