RF channelizer based on parametrically generated combs derived from a single master seed
First Claim
1. A radio frequency (RF) channelizer comprising:
- a master laser configured to generate a reference beam at a reference frequency;
a splitter configured to split the reference beam into first and second beams;
an RF reference oscillator;
a first modulator module configured to convert the first beam into a first modulated beam comprising a multitude of frequencies spaced from the reference frequency by integer multiples of a first RF frequency that is referenced to the RF reference oscillator;
a second modulator module configured to convert the second beam into a second modulated beam comprising a multitude of frequencies spaced from the reference frequency by integer multiples of a second RF frequency that is referenced to the RF reference oscillator;
a first seed tone generator configured to derive a first seed tone beam from the first modulated beam;
a second seed tone generator configured to derive a second seed tone beam from the second modulated beam;
a first parametric mixer configured to receive and convert the first seed tone beam into a first comb;
a signal modulator configured to modulate a received RF signal to be channelized onto the first comb;
a second parametric mixer configured to receive and convert the second seed tone beam into a second comb;
a first optical filter configured to receive and to separate the RF-signal-modulated first comb into a plurality of first filtered beams a center frequency of each first filtered beam corresponding to a frequency of an individual line of the second comb;
a second optical filter configured to receive and to separate the second comb into a plurality of second filtered beams each second filtered beam corresponding to an individual line of the second comb; and
a coherent detection array configured to select and down convert the received RF signal from the first and second filtered beams.
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Abstract
An RF channelizer comprising: a master laser for generating a reference beam; a splitter for splitting the reference beam into first and second beams; first and second modulator modules for converting the first and second beams into first and second modulated beams; first and second seed tone generators for deriving first and second seed tones; first and second parametric mixers for converting the first and second seed tones into first and second combs; a signal modulator for modulating a received RF signal onto the first comb; first and second optical filters for separating the first and second combs into pluralities of first and second filtered beams with center frequencies corresponding to the second comb lines; and a coherent detection array for selecting, combining, and detecting corresponding pairs from first and second filtered beams providing at the output a contiguous bank of channelized signals covering the bandwidth of the RF signal.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A radio frequency (RF) channelizer comprising:
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a master laser configured to generate a reference beam at a reference frequency; a splitter configured to split the reference beam into first and second beams; an RF reference oscillator; a first modulator module configured to convert the first beam into a first modulated beam comprising a multitude of frequencies spaced from the reference frequency by integer multiples of a first RF frequency that is referenced to the RF reference oscillator; a second modulator module configured to convert the second beam into a second modulated beam comprising a multitude of frequencies spaced from the reference frequency by integer multiples of a second RF frequency that is referenced to the RF reference oscillator; a first seed tone generator configured to derive a first seed tone beam from the first modulated beam; a second seed tone generator configured to derive a second seed tone beam from the second modulated beam; a first parametric mixer configured to receive and convert the first seed tone beam into a first comb; a signal modulator configured to modulate a received RF signal to be channelized onto the first comb; a second parametric mixer configured to receive and convert the second seed tone beam into a second comb; a first optical filter configured to receive and to separate the RF-signal-modulated first comb into a plurality of first filtered beams a center frequency of each first filtered beam corresponding to a frequency of an individual line of the second comb; a second optical filter configured to receive and to separate the second comb into a plurality of second filtered beams each second filtered beam corresponding to an individual line of the second comb; and a coherent detection array configured to select and down convert the received RF signal from the first and second filtered beams. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A radio frequency (RF) channelizer comprising:
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a master laser configured to generate a reference beam at a reference frequency; a splitter configured to split the reference beam into first and second beams; an RF reference oscillator; a first modulator module configured to convert the first beam into a first modulated beam comprising a multitude of frequencies spaced from the reference frequency by integer multiples of a first RF frequency that is referenced to the RF reference oscillator; a second modulator module configured to convert the second beam into a second modulated beam comprising a multitude of frequencies spaced from the reference frequency by integer multiples of a second RF frequency that is referenced to the RF reference oscillator; a first seed tone generator configured to derive at least three seed beams from the first modulated beam, at least two seed beams with high optical power with frequency spaced by 2Δ
fP and a given seed beam with frequency offset by Δ
fP/2 from one of the other seed beams, where Δ
fP/2 is equal to or a multiple of the first RF frequency;a signal modulator configured to modulate a received RF signal to be channelized onto the given seed beam, wherein the first seed tone generator is further configured to filter and combine the at least three seed beams into a single first seed tone beam; a first parametric mixer configured to receive and convert the first seed tone beam into a first comb comprising a comb of lines spaced by 2Δ
fP and multicasted copies of the modulated given seed beam with spacing Δ
fP and offset in frequency by Δ
fP/2 from the comb of lines spaced by 2Δ
fP;a second seed tone generator configured to derive from the second modulated beam a second seed tone beam comprising at least two second seed tones, spaced by (Δ
fP+δ
)/n, where n is a positive integer and the absolute value of δ
is the channel spacing, or resolution bandwith, of the channelizer, and where (Δ
fP+δ
)/n is a multiple of the second RF frequency;a second parametric mixer configured to receive and convert the second seed tone beam into a second comb with frequency pitch (Δ
fP+δ
)/n;a first optical filter configured to receive and separate the first comb into a plurality of first filtered beams, the center frequency of each first filtered beam corresponding to a frequency of an individual line of the second comb; a second optical filter configured to receive and separate the second comb into a plurality of second filtered beams, each second filtered beam corresponding to an individual line of the second comb; and a coherent detection array configured to select, combine, and detect corresponding pairs from the first filtered beams and the second filtered beams, and further configured to provide as an output a contiguous bank of channelized coherent I/Q down-converted intermediate frequency (IF) signals, spaced in frequency by the absolute value of δ
covering the bandwidth of the received RF signal. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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15. A method for channelizing a received radio frequency (RF) signal comprising the following steps:
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generating a reference beam having a reference frequency; splitting the reference beam into first and second beams; converting the first beam into a first modulated beam comprising a multitude of frequencies spaced from the reference frequency by integer multiples of a first RF frequency that is referenced to an RF reference oscillator; converting the second beam into a second modulated beam comprising a multitude of frequencies spaced from the reference frequency by integer multiples of a second RF frequency that is referenced to the RF reference oscillator; deriving a first seed tone beam comprising at least two seed frequencies spaced by Δ
fP, where Δ
fP is a multiple of the first RF frequency, from the first modulated beam;deriving a second seed tone beam comprising at least two seed frequencies spaced by (Δ
fP+δ
)/n where (Δ
fP+δ
)/n is a multiple of the second RF frequency, from the second modulated beam;converting the first seed tone beam into a first comb with a first parametric mixer; modulating a received RF signal onto the first comb; converting the second seed tone beam into a second comb with a second parametric mixer; separating the first comb into a plurality of first filtered beams, the center frequency of each first filtered beam corresponding to the frequency of an individual line of the second comb; separating the second comb into a plurality of second filtered beams each second filtered beam corresponding to an individual line of the second comb; and selecting, combining, and detecting corresponding pairs from first filtered beams and the second filtered beams, and providing at the output of a coherent detection array a contiguous bank of channelized coherent I/Q down-converted intermediate frequency (IF) signals, spaced in frequency by the absolute value of δ
covering the bandwidth of the received RF signal. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification