Parallel modulator photonic link

• US 8,180,183 B1
• Filed: 07/18/2008
• Issued: 05/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HRL Laboratories LLC (The Boeing Co.)
• Original Assignee: HRL Laboratories LLC (The Boeing Co.)
• Inventors: Yap, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Lepisto, Ryan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Blevins, Jerry
• Application Number:
  US12/176,089
• Time in Patent Office: 1,397 Days
• Field of Search: 385 1- 3, 398/115, 398/183, 343/772, 455/129
• US Class Current: 385/2
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/025 in an optical waveguide structure G02F1/017, G02F1/2257 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/0316 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/127 travelling wave
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/18 parallel
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2203/58 Multi-wavelength, e.g. operation of the device at a plurality of wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/00 Waveguide horns or mouths; Slot antennas; Leaky-waveguide antennas; Equivalent structures causing radiation along the transmission path of a guided wave

Abstract

An RF photonic link having at least one light source, at least one photodetector, multiple optoelectronic modulators, and an RF waveguide common to each one of said multiple optoelectronic modulators. The multiple optoelectronic modulators are optically arranged in parallel to receive light from said at least one light source and are disposed in said RF waveguide. The RF waveguide, in use, guides an RF electromagnetic field applied to each of the multiple optoelectronic modulators disposed therein, the RF electromagnetic field propagating through the RF waveguide in a direction that is perpendicular to a direction in which an optical field propagates through each of said optoelectronic modulators.

Claims

1. An RF photonic link comprising:

a. at least one light source,

b. multiple optoelectronic modulators, and

c. an RF waveguide common to each one of said multiple optoelectronic modulators;

d. wherein the multiple optoelectronic modulators are optically arranged in parallel to receive light from said at least one light source and are disposed in said RF waveguide; and

e. wherein the RF waveguide, in use, guides an RF electromagnetic field successively to each of the multiple optoelectronic modulators disposed therein, the RF electromagnetic field propagating through the RF waveguide in a direction that is perpendicular to a direction in which an optical field propagates through each of said optoelectronic modulators.

2. An RF photonic link according to claim 1 wherein said at least one light source comprises multiple light sources with each light source of said multiple light sources emitting, in use, a different optical wavelength carrier and with each light source of said multiple light sources being associated with a different one of the multiple optoelectronic modulators.

3. An RF photonic link according to claim 1 wherein at least one photodetector is coupled to receive light from said multiple optoelectronic modulators.

4. An RF photonic link according to claim 3 wherein said at least one photodetector comprises multiple photodetectors with each photodetector of said multiple photodetectors receiving light associated with a different one of the multiple optoelectronic modulators.

5. An RF photonic link according to claim 4 wherein current outputs of said multiple photodetectors are summed at a current summing junction.

6. An RF photonic link according to claim 4 wherein current outputs of said multiple photodetectors are each applied to a different electrical load and wherein load voltages provided by the multiple photodetectors are summed at a hybrid RF coupler.

7. An RF photonic link according to claim 1 further including at least one photodetector responsive to at least one of said multiple optoelectronic modulators.

8. An RF photonic link according to claim 7 wherein said at least one photodetector comprises multiple photodetectors with each photodetector of said multiple photodetectors receiving light associated with a different one of the multiple optoelectronic modulators.

9. An RF photonic link according to claim 8 wherein said RF electromagnetic field propagating through the RF waveguides modulates, in succession, said optical field propagating through each of said optoelectronic modulators to form a modulated optical field from each of said optoelectronic modulators.

10. An RF photonic link according to claim 7 further including an optical delay element located between one of said optoelectronic modulators and said at least one photodetector.

11. An RF photonic link according to claim 10 wherein said at least one photodetector comprises multiple photodetectors with each photodetector of said multiple photodetectors receiving light associated with a different one of the multiple optoelectronic modulators.

12. A method of forming an RF photonic link comprising:

a. providing at least one light source,

b. providing multiple optoelectronic modulators, and

c. providing an RF waveguide common to each one of said multiple optoelectronic modulators;

d. disposing the multiple optoelectronic modulators in said RF waveguide such that optical axes of each multiple optoelectronic modulator are arranged in parallel to receive light from said at least one light source; and

e. the RF waveguide, in use, supplying an RF electromagnetic field to each of the multiple optoelectronic modulators disposed therein, the RF electromagnetic field propagating through the RF waveguide in a direction that is perpendicular to a direction in which an optical field propagates through each of said optoelectronic modulators.

13. A method of forming an RF photonic link according to claim 12 wherein said at least one light source comprises multiple light sources with each light source of said multiple light sources emitting a different optical wavelength carrier and with each light source of said multiple light sources being associated with a different one of the multiple optoelectronic modulators.

14. A method of forming an RF photonic link according to claim 13 wherein said at least one photodetector comprises multiple photodetectors with each photodetector of said multiple photodetectors receiving light associated with a different one of the multiple optoelectronic modulators.

15. A method of forming an RF photonic link according to claim 12 further including providing multiple photodetectors with each photodetector of said multiple photodetectors receiving light associated with a different one of the multiple optoelectronic modulators.

16. A method of forming an RF photonic link according to claim 15 further including summing current outputs of said multiple photodetectors at a current summing junction.

17. A method of forming an RF photonic link according to claim 15 further including applying current outputs of each of said multiple photodetectors to a different electrical load and summing load voltages generated by the different electrical loads at a hybrid RF coupler.

18. An RF photonic link according to claim 17 further including providing a delay to the modulated optical field from one of said optoelectronic modulators and providing a different delay to the modulated optical field from another one of said optoelectronic modulators.

19. A method of forming an RF photonic link according to claim 15 further including providing a delay to a modulated optical field from one of said optoelectronic modulators and providing a different delay to a modulated optical field from another one of said optoelectronic modulators.

20. A method of forming an RF photonic link according to claim 12 wherein said RF electromagnetic field propagating through the RF waveguides modulates, in succession, said optical field propagating through each of said optoelectronic modulators to form a modulated optical field from each of said optoelectronic modulators.

21. A method of forming an RF photonic link according to claim 20 further including providing a delay to the modulated optical field from one of said optoelectronic modulators and providing a different delay to the modulated optical field from another one of said optoelectronic modulators.

22. A method of forming an RF photonic link according to claim 12 further including summing current outputs of said multiple photodetectors at a current summing junction.

23. A method of forming an RF photonic link according to claim 12 further including applying current outputs of each of said multiple photodetectors to a different electrical load and summing load voltages generated by the different electrical loads at a hybrid RF coupler.

24. A method of forming an RF photonic link according to claim 12 further including providing a delay to a modulated optical field from one of said optoelectronic modulators and providing a different delay to a modulated optical field from another one of said optoelectronic modulators.

25. An RF photonic link comprising:

a. at least one light source,

b. at least one photodetector,

c. multiple optoelectronic modulators each having an output coupled to said at least one photodetector, and

d. an RF waveguide common to each one of said multiple optoelectronic modulators;

e. means for disposing the multiple optoelectronic modulators in said RF waveguide such that optical axes of each multiple optoelectronic modulator are arranged in parallel to receive light from said at least one light source; and

f. the RF waveguide providing means for supplying an RF electromagnetic field to each of the multiple optoelectronic modulators disposed therein, the RF electromagnetic field propagating through the RF waveguide in a direction that is perpendicular to a direction in which an optical field propagates through each of said optoelectronic modulators.

26. An RF photonic link according to claim 25 wherein said at least one light source comprises multiple light sources with each light source of said multiple light sources emitting a different optical wavelength carrier and with each light source of said multiple light sources being associated with a different one of the multiple optoelectronic modulators.

27. An RF photonic link according to claim 25 wherein said at least one photodetector comprises multiple photodetectors with each photodetector of said multiple photodetectors receiving light associated with a different one of the multiple optoelectronic modulators.