Characterization of the photonic generation of phase-coded RF signals based on pulse shaping and frequency-to-time mapping

摘要

Photonic generation of arbitrary waveforms based on pulse shaping and frequency-to-time mapping is of great interest since it offers an effective way to generate complex signals with large bandwidth. In this paper, we mathematically study the photonic generation of phase-coded radio frequency (RF) signals based on pulse shaping and frequency-to-time mapping in detail. By mathematically analyzing the process of signal generation and utilizing the less restrictive dispersion requirement, a design criterion for the generation of well-shaped phase-coded RF waveforms is presented, by which we can properly set the spatial light modulator in the pulse shaper and dispersion in the system according to the carrier frequency and modulating frequency of the desired waveform. In addition, the maximum achievable time-bandwidth product of phase-coded RF signals that can be generated is estimated. The theory is verified by numerical and experimental results. The presented results can be used to guide the design of a photonic system for the generation of high-quality phase-coded RF signals. (C) 2015 Optical Society of America