Agile spread waveform generator
First Claim
1. An agile spread spectrum waveform generator comprising:
- (a) a photonic oscillator comprising a multi-tone optical comb generator for generating a series of RF comb lines on an optical carrier;
(b) an optical heterodyne synthesizer, the optical heterodyne synthesizer including first and second phase-locked lasers, the first laser feeding the optical carrier to the multi-tone optical comb generator and the second laser comprising a wavelength-tunable single tone laser whose output light provides a frequency translation reference; and
(c) a photodetector for heterodyning the frequency translation reference with the series of RF comb lines on the optical carrier generated by the photonic oscillator to generate an agile spread spectrum RF waveform;
wherein the photonic oscillator further comprises multiple loops including;
(i) a first optical delay line in a first loop for spacing a comb generated by the multi-tone optical comb generator;
(ii) a second optical delay in a second loop line for noise reduction, the second delay line being longer than the first optical delay line;
(iii) at least one photodetector connected to the first and second delay lines; and
(iv) an optical intensity modulator in a loop portion common to the first and second loops for driving the first and second optical delay lines.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An agile spread spectrum waveform generator comprises a photonic oscillator and an optical heterodyne synthesizer. The photonic oscillator comprises a multi-tone optical comb generator for generating a series of RF comb lines on an optical carrier. The optical heterodyne synthesizer includes first and second phase-locked lasers; the first laser feeding the multi-tone optical comb generator and the second laser comprising a rapidly wavelength-tunable single tone laser whose output light provides a frequency translation reference. A photodetector is provided for heterodyning the frequency translation reference with the optical output of the photonic oscillator to generate an agile spread spectrum waveform.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. An agile spread spectrum waveform generator comprising:
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(a) a photonic oscillator comprising a multi-tone optical comb generator for generating a series of RF comb lines on an optical carrier; (b) an optical heterodyne synthesizer, the optical heterodyne synthesizer including first and second phase-locked lasers, the first laser feeding the optical carrier to the multi-tone optical comb generator and the second laser comprising a wavelength-tunable single tone laser whose output light provides a frequency translation reference; and (c) a photodetector for heterodyning the frequency translation reference with the series of RF comb lines on the optical carrier generated by the photonic oscillator to generate an agile spread spectrum RF waveform; wherein the photonic oscillator further comprises multiple loops including; (i) a first optical delay line in a first loop for spacing a comb generated by the multi-tone optical comb generator; (ii) a second optical delay in a second loop line for noise reduction, the second delay line being longer than the first optical delay line; (iii) at least one photodetector connected to the first and second delay lines; and (iv) an optical intensity modulator in a loop portion common to the first and second loops for driving the first and second optical delay lines. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of generating an agile spread spectrum waveform, the method comprising:
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(a) generating multi-tone optical comb as a series of RF comb lines on an optical carrier using a photonic oscillator; (b) generating a wavelength-tunable single tone frequency translation reference; and (c) optically combining the optical comb with the frequency translation reference to generate a lightwave waveform suitable for subsequent heterodyning; wherein generating multi-tone optical comb comprises; (i) optically delaying the comb in a first loop for spacing comb lines in the comb; (ii) optically delaying the comb in a second loop line for noise reduction, a second optical delay caused by step (ii) being longer than a first optical delay caused by step (i); (iii) photodetecting the delayed comb; and (iv) using the delayed comb in an optical intensity modulator to modulate an output of a laser to thereby generate said multi-tone optical comb as a series of RF comb lines on an optical carrier. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification