Multiplication of phase deviations

• US 8,275,263 B1
• Filed: 06/26/2009
• Issued: 09/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Franklin, James D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bello, Agustin
• Application Number:
  US12/492,847
• Time in Patent Office: 1,187 Days
• Field of Search: 398182-201, 398/92
• US Class Current: 398/92
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/506 Multiwavelength transmitters

Abstract

Technologies are described herein for a phase deviation multiplication apparatus that implements an in-place multiplication approach for multiplying the phase deviation of an input signal while maintaining the frequency of the carrier signal within a frequency band of operation. According to an embodiment, a multi-stage phase deviation multiplication apparatus includes a plurality of sequentially arranged phase deviation multipliers, including at least a first phase deviation multiplier and a last phase deviation multiplier. The phase deviation multipliers have respective predetermined phase deviation multiplication factors. The first phase deviation multiplier receives an input signal and the last phase deviation multiplier generates a last phase deviated signal. The last phase deviated signal has a phase deviation multiplication factor that is the product of the respective predetermined phase deviation multiplication factors of the plurality of phase deviation multipliers.

Claims

1. A phase deviation multiplication apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of sequentially arranged phase deviation multipliers comprising at least a first phase deviation multiplier and a last phase deviation multiplier,

each of the plurality of phase deviation multipliers being responsive to an input signal and a pump signal to generate a respective plurality of frequency combs, each of the frequency combs having a respective phase deviation multiplication factor relative to the phase deviation of the input signal of the respective phase deviation multiplier, each of the plurality of phase deviation multipliers providing a selected phase deviated signal bypassing a selected frequency comb, the selected frequency comb providing a predetermined phase deviation multiplication factor,

at least one phase deviation multiplier prior to the last phase deviation multiplier filtering out at least one of its input signal or its pump signal;

wherein the first phase deviation multiplier is configured to receive an input signal and the last phase deviation multiplier is configured to generate a last phase deviated signal, and

wherein the last phase deviated signal has a phase deviation multiplication factor that is the product of the respective predetermined phase deviation multiplication factors of the plurality of phase deviation multipliers.

2. The phase deviation multiplication apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the first phase deviation multiplier passes a first selected frequency comb which has a first frequency offset with respect to a predetermined one of its input signals; and

the last phase deviation multiplier passes a last selected frequency comb which has a last frequency offset with respect to a predetermined one of its input signals;

wherein the last frequency offset is in a direction opposite to the first frequency offset.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of phase deviation multipliers comprises:

a pump laser configured to generate a pump laser signal as the pump signal;

a combiner configured to receive the pump laser signal and an optical input signal and to generate an optical combined signal;

a nonlinear device configured to receive the optical combined signal and configured to generate the respective plurality of frequency combs; and

a bandpass filter configured to receive the plurality of frequency combs; and

configured to selectively output the filtered phase deviated signal and to filter out at least one of the input signal or the laser pump signal.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 and further comprising a source laser to generate a source laser carrier signal modulated by the input signal, wherein the pump laser signal being 180 degrees out of phase with the input signal at the modulating frequency, such that the source laser carrier signal and pump laser signal are modulated in a push-pull arrangement.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the at least one of the plurality of phase deviation multipliers further comprises a wavelength locker.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the at least one of the plurality of phase deviation multipliers further comprises an amplifier to amplify the power of the filtered phase deviated signal.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first phase deviation multiplier comprises a first pump laser configured to generate a first pump signal, a second phase deviation multiplier comprises a second pump laser configured to generate a second pump signal and the last phase deviation multiplier comprises a last pump laser configured to generate a last pump signal.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein:

the first phase deviation multiplier is configured to output a first filtered phase deviated signal to a second phase deviation multiplier;

the second phase deviation multiplier is configured to receive the first filtered phase deviated signal and output a second filtered phase deviated signal to the last phase deviation multiplier; and

the last phase deviation multiplier is configured to receive the second filtered phase deviated signal and output the last phase deviated signal.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein:

the last phase deviated signal has a larger phase deviation than the second phase deviated signal;

the second phase deviated signal has a larger phase deviation than the first phase deviated signal; and

the first phase deviated signal has a larger phase deviation than the input signal.

10. A method for multiplying the phase of an electromagnetic signal while maintaining the electromagnetic signal within a frequency band of operation, the method comprising:

generating a first plurality of frequency combs by providing an input signal and a pump signal to a first nonlinear device;

selecting a first filtered phase deviated signal from the first plurality of frequency combs and removing at least one of the input signal or the pump signal by filtering the first plurality of frequency combs through a first selective bandpass filter,

generating a second plurality of frequency combs by providing the first filtered phase deviated signal and a pump signal to a second nonlinear device;

selecting a second filtered phase deviated signal from the second plurality of frequency combs by filtering the second plurality of frequency combs through a second selective bandpass filter;

wherein the second filtered phase deviated signal has a greater phase deviation relative to the input signal and a greater phase deviation relative to the first filtered phase deviated signal, and is maintained within the same frequency band of operation as the input signal.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the first filtered phase deviated signal has a first frequency offset with respect to a predetermined one of its input signals; and

the second filtered phase deviated signal has a second frequency offset with respect to a predetermined one of its input signals;

wherein the second frequency offset is in a direction opposite to the first frequency offset.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising amplifying the power of the first filtered phase deviated signal by passing the first filtered phase deviated signal through an amplifier prior to providing the second phase deviated signal to the second nonlinear device.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

phase modulating a source laser carrier signal by the input signal, and phase modulating the pump signal by the input signal, by using phase modulator; and

combining the modulated source laser carrier signal and the modulated pump signal to supply to the first nonlinear device.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising wavelength locking the pump signal to maintain the frequency of the pump signal.

15. A phase deviation multiplier, comprising:

a pump laser configured to generate a pump laser signal;

a first combiner configured to receive the pump laser signal and an input signal and to generate a combined signal;

a first nonlinear device configured to receive the combined signal and configured to generate a plurality of frequency combs having respective amplified phase deviations relative to the input signal;

a first selective bandpass filter configured to receive the plurality of frequency combs and configured to selectively output a first selected frequency comb as a first filtered phase deviated signal and to remove at least one of the pump laser signal or the input signal;

a second nonlinear device configured to receive the first filtered phase deviated signal from the first selective bandpass filter and a pump signal and configured to generate a second plurality of frequency combs having respective amplified phase deviations relative to the first filtered phase deviated signal; and

a second selective bandpass filter configured to receive the second plurality of frequency combs and configured to selectively output a second frequency comb as a second filtered phase deviated signal.

16. The phase deviation multiplier of claim 15, further comprising a phase modulator interposed between the input signal and the combiner, and configured to:

receive a source laser carrier signal from a source laser and the input signal to generate a phase modulated source laser carrier signal; and

supply the phase modulated source laser carrier signal as the input signal to the combiner.

17. The phase deviation multiplier of claim 16, further comprising a pump laser phase modulator configured to receive the pump laser signal and the input signal and supply the phase modulated pump laser signal to the combiner as the pump laser signal.

18. The phase deviation multiplier of claim 17, further comprising a multiplication gain that varies from unity when the phase shift between the phase modulated pump laser signal and the phase modulated source laser carrier signal is 0 degrees to a maximum when phase shift between the phase modulated pump laser signal and the phase modulated source laser carrier signal variable is 180 degrees.

19. The phase deviation multiplier of claim 15 wherein:

the first selective bandpass filter outputs the first filtered phase deviated signal having a first frequency offset with respect to a predetermined one of its input signals; and

the second selective bandpass filter outputs the second filtered phase deviated signal having a second frequency offset with respect to a predetermined one of its input signals; and

wherein the second frequency offset is in a direction opposite to the first frequency offset.

20. The phase deviation multiplier of claim 15, further comprising:

a circulator being configured to pass the combined signal to the first nonlinear device; and

a reflector being configured to pass the plurality of frequency combs through the first nonlinear device to the circulator;

wherein the combiner and reflector being further configured to pass the combined signal through the first nonlinear device at least twice before being received by the first selective bandpass filter.