Microwave receiver front-end assembly and array
First Claim
1. A receiver front-end assembly comprising:
- a. a metal-bounded dielectric-filled transverse electromagnetic waveguide for guiding a propagating electromagnetic field through said transverse electromagnetic waveguide, said transverse electromagnetic waveguide having two opposing metal surfaces,b. an electromagnetic field concentrating antenna for coupling incident electromagnetic radiation into said transverse electromagnetic waveguide,c. at least one slice of an electro-optic material embedded in the metal-bounded dielectric-filled transverse electromagnetic waveguide, the electro-optic material embedded in the metal-bounded dielectric-filled transverse electromagnetic waveguide having at least one optical waveguide having at least a major portion thereof guiding light in a direction orthogonal with respect to a direction in which the metal-bounded dielectric-filled transverse electromagnetic waveguide guides an electromagnetic field propagating in said transverse electromagnetic waveguide; and
d. at least one integrated electro-optic waveguide modulator disposed on or in the at least one slice of electro-optic material, said modulator including at least a portion of said at least one optical waveguide, a portion of said two opposing metal surfaces of said metal-bounded dielectric-filled transverse electromagnetic waveguide serving as driving electrodes for said modulator.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of and apparatus for modulating an optical carrier by an incident electromagnetic field. The electromagnetic field propagates in a dielectric-filled transverse electromagnetic waveguide, At least one slice of an electro-optic material is disposed in the dielectric-filled transverse electromagnetic waveguide, the electro-optic material in the dielectric-filled transverse electromagnetic waveguide having at least one optical waveguide therein which has at least a major portion thereof guiding light in a direction orthogonal with respect to a direction in which the dielectric-filled transverse electromagnetic waveguide guides the incident electromagnetic field. Light is caused to propagate in the at least one optical waveguide in the at least one slice of an electro-optic material in the dielectric-filled transverse electromagnetic waveguide for modulation by the incident electromagnetic field.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A receiver front-end assembly comprising:
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a. a metal-bounded dielectric-filled transverse electromagnetic waveguide for guiding a propagating electromagnetic field through said transverse electromagnetic waveguide, said transverse electromagnetic waveguide having two opposing metal surfaces, b. an electromagnetic field concentrating antenna for coupling incident electromagnetic radiation into said transverse electromagnetic waveguide, c. at least one slice of an electro-optic material embedded in the metal-bounded dielectric-filled transverse electromagnetic waveguide, the electro-optic material embedded in the metal-bounded dielectric-filled transverse electromagnetic waveguide having at least one optical waveguide having at least a major portion thereof guiding light in a direction orthogonal with respect to a direction in which the metal-bounded dielectric-filled transverse electromagnetic waveguide guides an electromagnetic field propagating in said transverse electromagnetic waveguide; and d. at least one integrated electro-optic waveguide modulator disposed on or in the at least one slice of electro-optic material, said modulator including at least a portion of said at least one optical waveguide, a portion of said two opposing metal surfaces of said metal-bounded dielectric-filled transverse electromagnetic waveguide serving as driving electrodes for said modulator. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of sensing incident electro-magnetic radiation, said method comprising:
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a. providing at least one sensor head in which the incident radiation passes through or is reflected from said at least one sensor head; b. passively sensing the incident radiation with an electro-optic material disposed in a RF waveguide propagating the incident radiation, and producing, according to an electric field component of said propagating radiation, modulation of light, c. providing a remote enclosure for housing electronic and optical elements associated with said at least one sensor head, the electronic and optical elements including at least one laser for supplying light to said sensor head and at least one photodetector for converting modulated light from said sensor head to an electrical signal, d. providing at least one optical fiber for communicating signals between (i) said electronic and optical elements in said remote enclosure and (ii) said at least one sensor head, wherein said signals communicating between (i) said electronic and optical elements and (ii) said at least one sensor head over said at least one optical fiber constitute the only signals communicating between (i) said electronic and optical elements in said remote enclosure and (ii) said at least one sensor head. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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23. A method of modulating an optical carrier by an incident electromagnetic field comprising the steps of:
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a. coupling the incident electromagnetic field into at least one transverse electromagnetic waveguide, b. propagating the electromagnetic field through said at least one transverse electromagnetic waveguide, each of said at least one transverse electromagnetic waveguide having two opposing metal surfaces, c. disposing at least one modulator on or in at least one slice of an electro-optic material in each of said at least one transverse electromagnetic waveguide, said at least one modulator being disposed in the transverse electromagnetic waveguide and having at least one optical waveguide therein with at least a major portion of said at least one optical waveguide guiding light in a direction orthogonal with respect to a direction in which the transverse electromagnetic waveguide guides the incident electromagnetic field propagating in said transverse electromagnetic waveguide; and d. applying light to said at least one optical waveguide in the at least one modulator, a portion of said two opposing metal surfaces of said at least one transverse electromagnetic waveguide in which said at least one modulator is disposed serving as driving electrodes for said at least one modulator. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26)
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Specification