Recent progresses on optical arbitrary waveform generation

Abstract

This paper reviews recent progresses on optical arbitrary waveform generation (AWG) techniques, which could be used to break the speed and bandwidth bottlenecks of electronics technologies for waveform generation. The main enabling techniques for optically generating optical and microwave waveforms are introduced and reviewed in this paper, such as wavelength-to-time mapping techniques, space-to-time mapping techniques, temporal pulse shaping (TPS) system, optoelectronics oscillator (OEO), programmable optical filters, optical differentiator and integrator and versatile electro-optic modulation implementations. The main advantages and challenges of these optical AWG techniques are also discussed.

Recent Advances in Programmable Photonic-Assisted Ultrabroadband Radio-Frequency Arbitrary Waveform Generation

“…The availability of well-developed techniques for shaping ultrashort light pulses and generating optical arbitrary waveforms [27], [28], [42]- [44] forms the basis for photonicassisted RF-arbitrary waveform generation (RF-AWG).…”

“…That is, once the CFBG is engineered, the generated waveform cannot be altered and thus, in a sense, RF arbitrariness is sacrificed. However, recent research in this area has shown that by incorporating optically-pumped CFBG structures, a certain amount of RF waveform programmability is attainable [28], [29]. An example of MMW chirp generation with tunable chirp rate and center frequency is reported in [54].…”

Experimental photonic generation of chirped pulses using nonlinear dispersion-based incoherent processing

“…(6) in [19], we can obtain that the nonlinear operation regime implies to satisfy the condition σ 0 << δω 2 β 3 L, where σ 0 and δω the RF pulse time duration and the optical source bandwidth, respectively. Equation (2) shows that this approach permits to generate an envelope r(t) completely described in [19] with a proportional dependence on the optical source power distribution modified by a scale factor between the optical frequency ω and the instantaneous angular frequency ω rf =2πf rf …”

“…Photonic generation of microwave/millimeter-wave signals has been a field of interest in the last years due to its important impact on applications such as radar systems, wireless communications, medical image processing, software defined radio or modern instrumentation where high frequency and large bandwidth signals are required [1,2]. The use of microwave photonics (MWP) technology in microwave signal generation offers new features and improved performance related to the inherent advantages of operating in the optical domain such as low losses, high bandwidth, immunity to electromagnetic interference (EMI) and, especially in this case, also the possibility of tuning and reconfiguration [3,4].…”

Sistemas de generación de señales de radiofrecuencia basados en Fotónica de Microondas.

“…La arquitectura de generación basada en conformación temporal de pulsos (Temporal Pulse Shaping, TPS) consiste en la propagación de un pulso ultracorto a través de un par de elementos dispersivos con dispersiones de distinto signo [42,66]. Los elementos dispersivos se sitúan antes y después de un modulador electro-óptico alimentado con una señal eléctrica x(t), como se muestra en la fig.…”