Adaptive thresholding scheme in photonic analog-to-digital conversion

Area of Science:

• Photonics
• Analog-to-Digital Conversion
• Signal Processing

Background:

• Photonic analog-to-digital converters (P-ADCs) are crucial for high-speed signal processing.
• Traditional P-ADCs often suffer from quantization noise due to thresholding errors.
• Dynamic setting of thresholding levels can complicate system calibration and operation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and experimentally demonstrate an adaptive thresholding scheme for P-ADCs.
• To reduce quantization noise by employing differential detection.
• To eliminate the need for dynamic threshold level setting and enhance noise immunity.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of an adaptive thresholding scheme utilizing differential detection technology.
• Experimental demonstration of the proposed scheme in a photonic analog-to-digital conversion system.
• Comparison with conventional single-ended comparator-based approaches.

Main Results:

• Significant reduction in quantization noise compared to traditional methods.
• Successful elimination of the dynamic setting requirement for thresholding levels.
• Demonstrated improved tolerance to common-mode noise in the photonic system.

Conclusions:

• The proposed adaptive thresholding scheme offers a robust solution for improving P-ADC performance.
• Differential detection effectively mitigates quantization noise and enhances system stability.
• This approach simplifies P-ADC design and operation while improving signal fidelity.