Brillouin opto-electronic oscillators
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An opto-electronic device, comprising:
- an electro-optical modulator having an electrical input port that accepts an electrical modulation signal and an optical output port and operating to generate at said optical output port an optical carrier signal which is modulated at an oscillation frequency related to said electrical modulation signal;
an opto-electronic loop connecting said optical output port and said electrical input port to receive at least a portion of said optical carrier signal and having an optical medium that produces a Brillouin scattering signal in a direction of said optical carrier signal in response to an optical pump signal which propagates in an opposite direction of said optical carrier signal; and
a photodetector disposed to receive said Brillouin scattering signal and said optical carrier signal and configured to produce said electrical modulation signal, wherein said opto-electronic loop provides a positive feedback to effect an electromagnetic oscillation.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Opto-electronic oscillators having at least one Brillouin feedback loop based on the Brillouin selective sideband amplification to provide a sufficient gain for the oscillator to start and sustain an electro-optic oscillation. Such an oscillator can generate high frequency, high spectral purity, and tunable microwave signals in both optical and electrical domains.
-
Citations
82 Claims
-
1. An opto-electronic device, comprising:
-
an electro-optical modulator having an electrical input port that accepts an electrical modulation signal and an optical output port and operating to generate at said optical output port an optical carrier signal which is modulated at an oscillation frequency related to said electrical modulation signal; an opto-electronic loop connecting said optical output port and said electrical input port to receive at least a portion of said optical carrier signal and having an optical medium that produces a Brillouin scattering signal in a direction of said optical carrier signal in response to an optical pump signal which propagates in an opposite direction of said optical carrier signal; and a photodetector disposed to receive said Brillouin scattering signal and said optical carrier signal and configured to produce said electrical modulation signal, wherein said opto-electronic loop provides a positive feedback to effect an electromagnetic oscillation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
-
20. An opto-electronic device, comprising:
-
a signal light source operable to produce an optical carrier beam at an optical carrier frequency; an electro-optical modulator configured to have an electrical input port that accepts an electrical modulation signal and disposed relative to said signal light source to receive said optical carrier beam, said electro-optical modulator operating to produce a modulation at an oscillation frequency on said optical carrier beam to generate an optical carrier signal with a plurality of modulation sidebands; an opto-electronic loop connected to receive at least a portion of said optical carrier signal and configured to have an optical medium that produces a Brillouin scattering signal in a direction of said optical carrier signal in response to an optical pump signal which propagates in an opposite direction of said optical carrier signal and a photodetector disposed relative to said optical medium to receive said Brillouin scattering signal and said optical carrier signal; a pump light source disposed relative to said opto-electronic loop and configured to produce said optical pump signal, wherein said photodetector is configured to produce said electrical modulation signal and said opto-electronic loop provides a positive feedback to said electrical input port to effect an electromagnetic oscillation. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
-
-
34. An opto-electronic device, comprising:
-
an electro-optical modulator having an electrical input port and an optical output port, operating to generate an optical signal produced by modulating an optical carrier beam at an oscillating frequency according to an electrical modulation signal from said electrical input port; a first positive feedback loop disposed and configured to receive a first portion of said optical signal and to produce a first electrical feedback signal to said electrical input port; and a second positive feedback loop disposed and configured to receive a second portion of said optical signal, said second positive feedback loop including;
(1) an optical medium with a material property to produce a Brillouin scattering signal in a direction of said optical carrier signal in response to an optical pump signal in an opposite direction of said optical carrier signal; and
(2)a photodetector disposed relative to said optical medium to receive both said Brillouin scattering signal and said optical carrier signal to produce a second electrical feedback signal to said electrical input port,wherein said first electrical feedback signal and said second electrical feedback signal affect said electrical modulation signal and said first and second positive feedback loops effect an electromagnetic oscillation. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57)
-
-
58. An opto-electronic device, comprising:
-
an electro-optical modulator having an electrical input port and an optical output port, operating to generate an optical signal produced by modulating an optical carrier beam at an oscillating frequency according to an electrical modulation signal from said electrical input port; an electrical feedback loop disposed and configured to receive a portion of said electrical modulation signal and to produce a first electrical feedback signal of a positive feedback to said electrical input port; and an opto-electronic feedback loop disposed and configured to receive a portion of said optical signal, said opto-electronic feedback loop including;
(1) an optical medium with a material property to produce a Brillouin scattering signal in a direction of said optical carrier signal in response to an optical pump signal in an opposite direction of said optical carrier signal; and
(2)a photodetector disposed relative to said optical medium to receive both said Brillouin scattering signal and said optical carrier signal to produce a second electrical feedback signal of a positive feedback to said electrical input port,wherein said first and second electrical feedback signals affect said electrical modulation signal and said electrical and opto-electronic feedback loops effect an electromagnetic oscillation. - View Dependent Claims (59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74)
-
-
75. A method of generating an oscillatory signal, comprising:
-
modulating an optical carrier beam with an electrical modulation signal in an electro-optical modulator to produce an optical carrier signal with a plurality of modulation sidebands; directing said optical carrier signal into an optical medium which is suitable for Brillouin scattering process; producing a backscattered Brillouin signal in said optical medium by injecting an optical pump beam into said medium in the opposite direction of said optical carrier signal; overlapping said Brillouin signal with one selected modulation sideband to amplify said selected modulation sideband; converting a beat signal between said optical carrier signal and said amplified selected modulation sideband into a feedback electrical signal; and supplying said feedback electrical signal to the electro-optical modulator to affect said electrical modulation signal. - View Dependent Claims (76)
-
-
77. An opto-electronic device, comprising:
-
an electro-optical modulator having an electrical input port that accepts an electrical modulation signal and an optical output port and operating to generate at said optical output port an optical carrier signal which is modulated at an oscillation frequency related to said electrical modulation signal; an opto-electronic loop connecting said optical output port and said electrical input port to receive at least a portion of said optical carrier signal and having an optical medium that exhibits an electrorestrictive effect, wherein said opto-electronic loop produces a back-scattering signal in a direction of said optical carrier signal in response to an optical pump signal which is injected into said optical medium in an opposite direction of said optical carrier signal; and a photodetector disposed to receive said back-scattering signal and said optical carrier signal and configured to produce said electrical modulation signal, wherein said opto-electronic loop provides a positive feedback to effect an electromagnetic oscillation. - View Dependent Claims (78, 79)
-
-
80. An opto-electronic device, comprising:
-
a signal light source operable to produce an optical carrier beam at an optical carrier frequency; an electro-optical modulator configured to have an electrical input port that accepts an electrical modulation signal and disposed relative to said signal light source to receive said optical carrier beam, said electro-optical modulator operating to produce a modulation at an oscillation frequency on said optical carrier beam to generate an optical carrier signal with a plurality of modulation sidebands; an opto-electronic loop connected to receive at least a portion of said optical carrier signal and configured to have an optical medium that exhibits an electrorestrictive effect to produce a back-scattering signal in a direction of said optical carrier signal in response to an optical pump signal in an opposite direction of said optical carrier signal and a photodetector disposed relative to said optical medium to receive said back-scattering signal and said optical carrier signal; a pump light source disposed relative to said opto-electronic loop and configured to produce said optical pump signal, wherein said photodetector is configured to produce said electrical modulation signal and said opto-electronic loop provides a positive feedback to said electrical input port to effect an electromagnetic oscillation.
-
-
81. An opto-electronic device, comprising:
-
an electro-optical modulator having an electrical input port and an optical output port, operating to generate an optical signal produced by modulating an optical carrier beam at an oscillating frequency according to an electrical modulation signal from said electrical input port; a first positive feedback loop disposed and configured to receive a first portion of said optical signal and to produce a first electrical feedback signal to said electrical input port; and a second positive feedback loop disposed and configured to receive a second portion of said optical signal, said second positive feedback loop including;
(1) an optical medium exhibiting an electrorestrictive effect to produce a scattering signal in a direction of said optical carrier signal in response to an optical pump signal in an opposite direction of said optical carrier signal; and
(2)a photodetector disposed relative to said optical medium to receive both said scattering signal and said optical carrier signal to produce a second electrical feedback signal to said electrical input port,wherein said first electrical feedback signal and said second electrical feedback signal affect said electrical modulation signal and said first and second positive feedback loops effect an electromagnetic oscillation.
-
-
82. An opto-electronic device, comprising:
-
an electro-optical modulator having an electrical input port and an optical output port, operating to generate an optical signal produced by modulating an optical carrier beam at an oscillating frequency according to an electrical modulation signal from said electrical input port; an electrical feedback loop disposed and configured to receive a portion of said electrical modulation signal and to produce a first electrical feedback signal of a positive feedback to said electrical input port with a first amount of delay; and an opto-electronic feedback loop disposed and configured to receive a portion of said optical signal, said opto-electronic feedback loop including;
(1) an optical medium exhibiting an electrorestrictive effect to produce a scattering signal in a direction of said optical carrier signal in response to an optical pump signal in an opposite direction of said optical carrier signal; and
(2)a photodetector disposed relative to said optical medium to receive both said scattering signal and said optical carrier signal to produce a second electrical feedback signal of a positive feedback to said electrical input port with a second amount of delay,wherein said first and second electrical feedback signals affect said electrical modulation signal and said electrical and opto-electronic feedback loops effect an electromagnetic oscillation.
-
Specification