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Related Concept Videos

Polar Coordinates: Problem Solving01:27

Polar Coordinates: Problem Solving

Directional radiation patterns are central to antenna analysis, as they illustrate how signal strength varies with direction. These patterns are often modeled using polar plots, where the radial distance from the origin represents signal intensity at a given angle. A commonly used idealized form is the four-lobed rose curve, which captures the concept of directional beams in a simplified mathematical form.The four-lobed rose curve, described by r = cos⁡(2θ), features four symmetric lobes, each...
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Gain and phase shift are properties of linear circuits that describe the effect a circuit has on a sinusoidal input voltage or current. The circuit's behavior that contains reactive elements will depend on the frequency of the input sinusoid. As a result, it is observed that the gain and phase shift will all be frequency functions.
Gain:
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 16, 2026

Characterization of SiN Integrated Optical Phased Arrays on a Wafer-Scale Test Station
05:57

Characterization of SiN Integrated Optical Phased Arrays on a Wafer-Scale Test Station

Published on: April 1, 2020

Optical antenna gain. 2: receiving antennas.

J J Degnan, B J Klein

    Applied Optics
    |February 6, 2010
    PubMed
    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    This study analyzes optical antenna gain in laser receivers, accounting for obscuration and detector losses. Optimal signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is achieved with specific detector sizing for uniform local oscillator illumination.

    Related Experiment Videos

    Last Updated: Jun 16, 2026

    Characterization of SiN Integrated Optical Phased Arrays on a Wafer-Scale Test Station
    05:57

    Characterization of SiN Integrated Optical Phased Arrays on a Wafer-Scale Test Station

    Published on: April 1, 2020

    Area of Science:

    • Optical Engineering
    • Laser Systems
    • Signal Processing

    Background:

    • Centrally obscured circular optical antennas are crucial for laser receivers.
    • Understanding gain and losses is vital for optimizing receiver performance.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To derive expressions for optical antenna gain in laser receivers.
    • To quantify losses due to central obscuration, detector spillover, and local oscillator (LO) distribution.
    • To evaluate receiver performance for direct detection and heterodyne/homodyne detection with various LO distributions.

    Main Methods:

    • Derivation of gain expressions including specific loss factors.
    • Numerical analysis for direct detection and heterodyne/homodyne detection scenarios.
    • Graphical presentation of results for diverse telescope and detector parameters.

    Main Results:

    • Optimal signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for uniform LO illumination occurs at a detector radius of ~0.74 Airy disk radius.
    • An optimized Gaussian LO distribution (spot size = 0.46 Airy disk radius) offers <1 dB gain improvement.
    • Receiver gain is largely insensitive to the size of the central obscuration.

    Conclusions:

    • The study provides a framework for evaluating laser receiver gain.
    • Specific detector sizing and LO distribution significantly impact SNR.
    • The findings are valuable for designing efficient optical receiver systems.