Optical conversion system and method with multiple phase processing
First Claim
1. A photonic processor, comprising:
- a first input configured to receive a phase-modulated optical pulse signal;
a second input configured to receive an optical reference signal;
a plurality of stages, each stage being configured to receive the phase-modulated optical pulse signal and a phase-delayed version of the optical reference signal, the phase-delayed version of the optical reference signal being phase-delayed in accordance with a phase position of the stage, wherein each stage is comprised of;
a reference coupler;
a phase delay;
a signal coupler;
a reference source path;
a signal source path;
a reference path;
a signal path, wherein the signal coupler is coupled to the signal path, to the signal source path and to a signal source path of the next stage, and wherein the reference coupler is coupled to the reference path, to the phase delay and to a reference source path of the next stage, wherein the phase delay is coupled to the reference coupler of the preceding stage;
a directional coupler coupled to the reference coupler and the signal coupler and used to interferometrically combine the phase-modulated optical pulse signal and the phase-delayed version of the optical reference signal for the stage; and
a balanced photo detector coupled to the directional coupler, wherein the balanced photo detector provides an electronic output signal corresponding to a phase relationship of the phase-delayed version of the optical reference signal and the phase-modulated optical pulse signal for the stage;
a first stage having a variable phase delay, the first stage being provided before the plurality of stages; and
a second stage being after the first stage and before the plurality of stages, wherein a reference signal received by an optical coupler in the second stage has a same phase as a reference signal received by an optical coupler in the first stage.
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Abstract
A photonic processor can include a first input for a phase-modulated optical pulse signal, a second input for an optical reference signal, and a plurality of states. Each stage is configured to receive the phase-modulated optical pulse signal and a phase-delayed version of the optical reference signal. The phase-delayed version is phase-delayed in accordance with a phase position of the stage. Each stage is comprised of a reference path, a signal path, a coupler and a balanced photo detector. The coupler receives the phase-modulated optical pulse signal and provides as stage phase-modulated optical pulse signal to the signal path. The signal path is coupled to a first input of the balanced photo detector. The coupler also receives the phase-delayed version and provides a stage optical reference signal to the reference path. The reference path is coupled to a second input of the detector. The detector provides an electronic output signal corresponding to a phase relationship.
81 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A photonic processor, comprising:
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a first input configured to receive a phase-modulated optical pulse signal; a second input configured to receive an optical reference signal; a plurality of stages, each stage being configured to receive the phase-modulated optical pulse signal and a phase-delayed version of the optical reference signal, the phase-delayed version of the optical reference signal being phase-delayed in accordance with a phase position of the stage, wherein each stage is comprised of; a reference coupler; a phase delay; a signal coupler; a reference source path; a signal source path; a reference path; a signal path, wherein the signal coupler is coupled to the signal path, to the signal source path and to a signal source path of the next stage, and wherein the reference coupler is coupled to the reference path, to the phase delay and to a reference source path of the next stage, wherein the phase delay is coupled to the reference coupler of the preceding stage; a directional coupler coupled to the reference coupler and the signal coupler and used to interferometrically combine the phase-modulated optical pulse signal and the phase-delayed version of the optical reference signal for the stage; and a balanced photo detector coupled to the directional coupler, wherein the balanced photo detector provides an electronic output signal corresponding to a phase relationship of the phase-delayed version of the optical reference signal and the phase-modulated optical pulse signal for the stage; a first stage having a variable phase delay, the first stage being provided before the plurality of stages; and a second stage being after the first stage and before the plurality of stages, wherein a reference signal received by an optical coupler in the second stage has a same phase as a reference signal received by an optical coupler in the first stage. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A photonic processor, comprising:
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a first input configured to receive a phase-modulated optical pulse signal; a second input configured to receive an optical reference signal; and a first set of a plurality of stages, each stage of the first set being configured to receive the phase-modulated optical pulse signal and a phase-delayed version of the optical reference signal, the phase-delayed version of the optical reference signal being phase-delayed in accordance with a phase position of each stage among the first set of stages, wherein each stage of the first set is comprised of; a reference path; a signal path; a directional coupler coupled to the reference path and the signal path and used to interferometrically combine the phase-modulated optical pulse signal and the phase-delayed version of the optical reference signal; a balanced photo detector coupled to the directional coupler, wherein the balanced photo detector provides an electronic output signal corresponding to a phase relationship of the phase-delayed version of the optical reference signal and the phase-modulated optical pulse; and a second set of a plurality of stages, each stage of the second set being configured to receive the phase-modulated optical pulse signal and a version of the optical reference signal, wherein each stage of the second set is comprised of; a reference path; a signal path; a directional coupler coupled to the reference path and the signal path and used to interferometrically combine the phase-modulated optical pulse signal and the version of the optical reference signal; and a balanced photo detector coupled to the directional coupler, wherein the balanced photo detector provides an electronic output signal corresponding to a phase relationship of the version of the optical reference signal and the phase-modulated optical pulse signal; wherein the second set of stages comprises a first stage having a variable phase delay serving to eliminate spurious phase variations in the signal paths and the reference paths, and a second stage, wherein the version of the optical reference signal received by the second stage has a same phase as the version of the optical reference signal received by the first stage. - View Dependent Claims (5)
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6. A method of multi-phase processing, the method comprising:
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receiving a phase-modulated optical pulse signal from a first optical coupler at a plurality of stages; receiving a respective phase-delayed version of an optical reference signal from a second optical coupler at the plurality of stages, the respective phase-delayed version of the optical reference signal being phase-delayed in accordance with a phase position of the stage by an optical phase-delay element, wherein an input to the second optical coupler of at least one of the plurality of stages is coupled to an output of the phase-delay element of the preceding stage; receiving a first reference signal at a first stage having a variable phase delay, the first stage being provided before the plurality of stages; receiving a second reference signal at a second stage being after the first stage and before the plurality of stages, wherein the second reference signal is received by an optical coupler in the second stage and has a same phase as the first reference signal received by an optical coupler in the first stage; combining and comparing the respective phase-delayed version of the optical reference signal with the phase-modulated optical pulse signal for the plurality of stages at each stage using a directional coupler and a pair of photo diodes in each stage; and providing an electronic output signal corresponding to a phase relationship of the phase-delayed optical reference signal and the phase-modulated optical pulse signal at each stage of the plurality of stages. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9)
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10. A multiphase photonic processor, comprising:
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a phase modulator configured to receive an electronic radio frequency signal and an optical clock signal and to provide a phase-modulated optical signal on a first signal path, wherein the optical clock signal is provided on a second signal path; a first directional coupler; a first signal optical coupler for providing a first level of power of the phase-modulated optical signal to a first input of the first directional coupler; a first reference optical coupler for providing a version of the optical clock signal to a second input of the first directional coupler; a first balanced photodetector having a first input coupled to a first output of the first directional coupler and a second input coupled to a second output of the first directional coupler; a second directional coupler; a second signal optical coupler for providing a second level of power of the phase-modulated optical signal to a first input of the second directional coupler, the second level of power of the phase-modulated optical signal being approximately equal to the first level of power of the phase-modulated optical signal; a second reference optical coupler for providing a delayed version of the optical clock signal to a second input of the second directional coupler; a second balanced photodetector having a first input coupled to a first output of the second directional coupler and a second input coupled to a second output of the second directional coupler; a third directional coupler; a third signal optical coupler for providing a third level of power of the phase-modulated optical signal to a first input of the third directional coupler, the third level of power of the phase-modulated optical signal being greater than the first and second levels of power of the phase-modulated optical signal; a third reference optical coupler for providing a delayed version of the optical clock signal to a second input of the third directional coupler; a third balanced photodetector having a first input coupled to a first output of the third directional coupler and a second input coupled to a second output of the third directional coupler; a first output associated with the first balanced photo detector; a second output associated with the second balanced photo detector; and a third output associated with the third balanced photodetector, wherein the first, second, and third outputs associated with the respective first, second, and third balanced photodetectors provide a thermometer electronic output signal corresponding to a phase relationship of the optical clock signal and the phase-modulated optical pulse signal. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification