RF receiver front-end assembly
First Claim
1. A multi-furcated structure responsive to input radio-frequency electromagnetic radiation comprising:
- a plurality of radio frequency waveguide sections, at least one end of each radio frequency waveguide section being physically in contact with or adjacent one end of at least one other radio frequency waveguide section of said plurality of radio frequency waveguide sections, wherein each radio frequency waveguide section couples a different spatial portion of the input electromagnetic radiation, the plurality of radio frequency waveguide sections being fed from a common source of said radio frequency electromagnetic radiation;
each radio frequency waveguide section having an optoelectronic modulator electrically and physically coupled to it, wherein each optoelectronic modulator responds to the electromagnetic radiation coupled to it by the radio frequency waveguide section to which that optoelectronic modulator is electrically coupled and physically connected;
each optoelectronic modulator having an optical waveguide disposed therein such that, in use, light traveling in the optical waveguides of said optoelectronic modulators travels in a direction orthogonal with respect to the radio frequency energy propagating in said radio frequency waveguide sections; and
wherein each optoelectronic modulator has the optical waveguide disposed therein such that, in use, light traveling in the optical waveguides of said optoelectronic modulators (i) travels in a direction orthogonal with respect to the radio frequency energy propagating in said radio frequency waveguide sections and (ii) is responsive to the orthogonally traveling radio frequency energy.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A waveguide of radio frequency electromagnetic fields is multi-furcated into a plurality of radio frequency waveguide sections, each radio frequency waveguide section having an optoelectronic modulator electrically coupled to it. Each optoelectronic modulator has an optical waveguide disposed therein such that, in use, light traveling in the optical waveguides of the optoelectronic modulators travels in a direction orthogonal with respect to the direction the radio frequency electromagnetic field travels in the radio frequency waveguide sections. The plurality of radio frequency waveguide sections are fed from a common source of said radio frequency energy. In some embodiments, each radio frequency waveguide section has a dielectric material having a length and/or a dielectric constant selected such that a relative time delay of the radio frequency energy propagating in the radio frequency waveguide sections accommodates for a time delay of the light traveling from one optoelectronic modulator to a next optoelectronic modulator of a series connection of multiple optoelectronic modulators.
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Citations
39 Claims
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1. A multi-furcated structure responsive to input radio-frequency electromagnetic radiation comprising:
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a plurality of radio frequency waveguide sections, at least one end of each radio frequency waveguide section being physically in contact with or adjacent one end of at least one other radio frequency waveguide section of said plurality of radio frequency waveguide sections, wherein each radio frequency waveguide section couples a different spatial portion of the input electromagnetic radiation, the plurality of radio frequency waveguide sections being fed from a common source of said radio frequency electromagnetic radiation; each radio frequency waveguide section having an optoelectronic modulator electrically and physically coupled to it, wherein each optoelectronic modulator responds to the electromagnetic radiation coupled to it by the radio frequency waveguide section to which that optoelectronic modulator is electrically coupled and physically connected; each optoelectronic modulator having an optical waveguide disposed therein such that, in use, light traveling in the optical waveguides of said optoelectronic modulators travels in a direction orthogonal with respect to the radio frequency energy propagating in said radio frequency waveguide sections; and
wherein each optoelectronic modulator has the optical waveguide disposed therein such that, in use, light traveling in the optical waveguides of said optoelectronic modulators (i) travels in a direction orthogonal with respect to the radio frequency energy propagating in said radio frequency waveguide sections and (ii) is responsive to the orthogonally traveling radio frequency energy. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method for sensing incident electromagnetic radiation comprising the steps of:
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coupling a first spatial portion of an electromagnetic field of said incident electromagnetic radiation into a first radio frequency waveguide section and coupling a second spatial portion of the electromagnetic field of said incident electromagnetic radiation into a second radio frequency waveguide section; propagating the electromagnetic field coupled into said first radio frequency waveguide section in a first direction through said first radio frequency waveguide section to a first optoelectronic modulator located on a modulator substrate and propagating the electromagnetic field coupled into said second radio frequency waveguide section in a second direction through said second radio frequency waveguide section to a second optoelectronic modulator located on said modulator substrate; propagating light through said first optoelectronic modulator in a first orthogonal direction disposed orthogonally to the first direction that said electromagnetic field propagates through said first radio frequency waveguide section and propagating light through said second optoelectronic modulator in a second orthogonal direction disposed orthogonally to the second direction that said electromagnetic field propagates through said second radio frequency waveguide section; modulating the light propagating through said first optoelectronic modulator according to a time-varying electric field component of said electromagnetic field propagating in said first direction to said first optoelectronic modulator, and modulating the light propagating through said second optoelectronic modulator according to a time-varying electric field component of said electromagnetic field propagating in said second direction to said second optoelectronic modulator; and wherein the step of modulating the light propagating through said first optoelectronic modulator according to said time-varying electric field component of said electromagnetic field propagating in said first direction to said first optoelectronic modulator occurs in said first orthogonal direction, and wherein the step of modulating the light propagating through said second optoelectronic modulator according to the time-varying electric field component of said electromagnetic field propagating in said second direction to said second optoelectronic modulator occurs in said second orthogonal direction. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A multi-furcation structure comprising:
- a plurality of optoelectronic modulators and a furcated waveguide for distributing incident electromagnetic radiation into a plurality of different waveguide sections forming said furcated waveguide, each different waveguide section coupling a different spatial portion of the incident electromagnetic radiation to a different one of said plurality of optoelectronic modulators and wherein each one of said waveguide sections is disposed in contact with at least another one of said waveguide sections.
- View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A multi-furcated structure responsive to input electromagnetic radiation comprising:
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a plurality of TEM waveguide sections, at least one end of each TEM waveguide section being physically in contact with or adjacent one end of at least one other TEM waveguide section of said plurality of TEM waveguide sections, wherein each TEM waveguide section couples a different spatial portion of the input electromagnetic radiation, the plurality of TEM waveguide sections being fed from a common source of said input electromagnetic radiation; each TEM waveguide section having an optoelectronic modulator electrically and physically coupled to it, wherein each optoelectronic modulator responds to the electromagnetic radiation coupled to it by the TEM waveguide section to which that optoelectronic modulator is electrically coupled and physically connected; each optoelectronic modulator having an optical waveguide disposed therein such that, in use, light traveling in the optical waveguides of said optoelectronic modulators travels in a direction orthogonal with respect to the electromagnetic radiation propagating in said TEM waveguide sections.
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Specification