Tracking frequency conversion and network analyzer employing optical modulation
First Claim
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1. A tracking frequency converter employing optical modulation comprising:
- an optical modulator configured to receive a radio frequency (RF) signal and to modulate an optical signal according to the received RF signal; and
a first square-law photodetector configured to receive the modulated optical signal and another optical signal to convert the received RF signal into an intermediate frequency (IF) output signal having a predetermined frequency, one or both of the modulated optical signal and the other optical signal being a tunable optical signal,wherein the tunable optical signal is configured to track a frequency of the received RF signal such that a frequency difference between a spectral component of the modulated optical signal and the other optical signal is equal to the predetermined frequency of the IF output signal.
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Abstract
Tracking frequency conversion employs optical modulation of an optical signal to convert a radio frequency (RF) signal into an intermediate frequency (IF) output signal. A tracking frequency converter includes an optical modulator configured to receive the RF signal and to modulate the optical signal according to the received RF signal. The tracking frequency converter further includes a first square-law photodetector configured to receive the modulated optical signal and another optical signal to convert the received RF signal into the IF output signal. One or both of the modulated optical signal and the other optical signal is a tunable optical signal.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A tracking frequency converter employing optical modulation comprising:
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an optical modulator configured to receive a radio frequency (RF) signal and to modulate an optical signal according to the received RF signal; and a first square-law photodetector configured to receive the modulated optical signal and another optical signal to convert the received RF signal into an intermediate frequency (IF) output signal having a predetermined frequency, one or both of the modulated optical signal and the other optical signal being a tunable optical signal, wherein the tunable optical signal is configured to track a frequency of the received RF signal such that a frequency difference between a spectral component of the modulated optical signal and the other optical signal is equal to the predetermined frequency of the IF output signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A network analyzer employing optical modulation-based tracking frequency conversion, the network analyzer comprising:
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a radio frequency (RF) signal source configured to generate an RF test signal, the RF test signal to be applied to a port of a device under test (DUT); an optical local oscillator (LO) source configured to provide a pair of optical signals that is configured to track a frequency of the RF test signal, the optical signals of the pair having a frequency difference equal to either a sum of the RF test signal frequency and a frequency of an intermediate frequency (IF) signal and a difference between the RF test signal frequency and the frequency of the intermediate frequency (IF) signal; and an optical modulation-based frequency converter configured to modulate an optical signal of the optical signal pair according to a received RF signal and to convert the received RF signal into the IF signal using the optical signal pair having the modulated optical signal, wherein the received RF signal comprises one or both of the RF test signal applied to the DUT and a response signal produced by the DUT. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of tracking frequency conversion using optical modulation, the method comprising:
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modulating an optical signal according to a received radio frequency (RF) signal using an optical modulator; and generating an intermediate frequency (IF) output signal from the modulated optical signal and another optical signal using a square-law photodetector, a frequency difference between a spectral component of the modulated optical signal and the other optical signal being equal to an intermediate frequency of the IF output signal, one or both of the modulated optical signal and the other optical signal being tunable, wherein the IF output signal generation comprises a frequency conversion of the received RF signal into the IF output signal. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification