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High-resolution, on-chip RF photonic signal processor using Brillouin gain shaping and RF interference
Amol Choudhary1,2, Yang Liu3,4, Blair Morrison3,4
1Centre for Ultrahigh bandwidth Devices for Optical Systems (CUDOS), School of Physics, University of Sydney, Sydney, 2006, Australia. amol.choudhary@sydney.edu.au.
Scientific Reports
|July 21, 2017
Summary
This study introduces an on-chip processor for high-resolution radio frequency (RF) signal processing, enhancing wireless communication capabilities. It achieves superior spectral filtering and signal manipulation using integrated microwave photonics.
Area of Science:
- Photonics
- Electrical Engineering
- Applied Physics
Background:
- Conventional radio frequency (RF) electronics face limitations in high-resolution signal processing, especially at high carrier frequencies.
- Integrated microwave photonics offers a promising alternative for next-generation wireless communications.
- Achieving sub-GHz spectral resolution remains a significant technological challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present an on-chip high-resolution RF signal processor.
- To demonstrate high-suppression spectral filtering, large phase shifts, and ns-scale time delays.
- To enable versatile and power-efficient manipulation of RF signals on a photonic chip.
Main Methods:
- Tailoring Brillouin gain profiles using Stokes and anti-Stokes resonances.
- Employing RF interferometry on a low-loss photonic chip with strong opto-acoustic interactions.
- Utilizing vector addition of RF signals for enhanced phase and delay manipulation.
Main Results:
- Synthesized reconfigurable filters with ~20 MHz bandwidth and >30 dB extinction ratio using <40 mW optical power.
- Achieved an order of magnitude amplification in phase and delay compared to devices solely based on Brillouin scattering slow-light.
- Demonstrated versatile amplitude and phase manipulation of RF signals.
Conclusions:
- The developed on-chip processor addresses limitations in conventional RF electronics for wireless communications.
- The integrated microwave photonic approach enables high-resolution RF signal processing.
- This technology is suitable for applications like software-defined radios and beamforming.
