Simultaneous Multi-Channel Microwave Photonic Signal Processing

Lawrence Chen,Ming Ma,Parisa Moslemi,Rhys Adams

doi:10.3390/photonics4040044

Abstract

Microwave photonic (MWP) systems exploit the advantages of photonics, especially with regards to ultrabroad bandwidth and adaptability, features that are significantly more challenging to obtain in the electronic domain. Thus, MWP systems can be used to realize a number of microwave signal processing functions including, amongst others, waveform generation and radio-frequency spectrum analysis (RFSA). In this paper, we review recent results on fiber and integrated approaches for simultaneous generation of multiple chirped microwave waveforms as well as multi-channel RFSA of ultrahigh repetition optical rate pulse trains.

Highlights

Microwave photonics (MWP) unites the disciplines of microwave engineering with optoelectronics, and focuses on the use of photonic techniques and technologies to generate, process, and analyze/characterize microwave signals or to obtain radio-frequency (RF) characteristics of optical signals [1,2,3]
There are two primary factors that determine the number of channels that can be processed, i.e., There are two primary factors that determine the number of channels that can be processed, the number of spatial modes that can be supported by the mode selective nonlinearthe device (MSND): (1) the number of modes that can i.e., the number of spatial modes that can be supported by the MSND: (1) the number of modes that be multiplexed using the asymmetric directional couplers (ADC) and (2) the ability to obtain sufficient nonlinear optical effects in the can be multiplexed using the ADC and (2) the ability to obtain sufficient nonlinear optical effects in the higher order spatial modes
We considered radio-frequency spectrum analysis (RFSA) based on XPM as the nonlinear optical effect

Summary

Introduction

Microwave photonics (MWP) unites the disciplines of microwave engineering with optoelectronics, and focuses on the use of photonic techniques and technologies to generate, process, and analyze/characterize microwave signals or to obtain radio-frequency (RF) characteristics of optical signals [1,2,3]. Applications of MWP have evolved to include, amongst others, communications (e.g., to support the interface of wireless and optical communications, as well as for emerging 5G communications and the Internet of Things), sensing (e.g., to enhance resolution and increase the interrogation speed of conventional fiber optic sensor systems), and instrumentation (e.g., wideband signal characterization) To support these various applications, numerous functions are required, such as photonic generation of arbitrary waveforms, e.g., microwave, millimeter wave, and THz signals [4,5]; photonic processing of microwave signals, e.g., filtering, time delay, and phase shifting [6,7,8]; and photonic characterization of microwave signals, e.g., spectrum analysis and instantaneous frequency measurement (IFM) [9,10]. Photonic approaches provide increased flexibility, especially in terms of tuning the central frequency and/or RF chirp rate of the waveforms

Results

Discussion

Conclusion