Wideband signal processing applications for coherent optical channelizers

摘要

As the frequencies and bandwidths in military RF systems escalate, we enter a realm where photonic technologies can play an important role in signal transmission and processing. Since it is very difficult to process large data bandwidths, either tunable or instantaneous, using conventional electronics, conventional receiver electronics becomes a bandwidth bottleneck, thus development is timely for optical processing of wideband signals. A review of critical mission requirements and photonics capabilities reveals a variety of military missions that can benefit immediately or in the near future from the advantages offered by photonics. In this paper we will discuss the implementation of an Integrated Sensor System (ISS) that is greatly simplified through the use of a coherent optical channelizer. In this system the received RF signal. Which has been modulated onto an optical carrier, is routed via an all-optical switch to the coherent optical channelizer. A single channelizer has the capability to process signals, at frequencies of up to 100 GHz and translate all the frequency channels to a convenient I.F. that is compatible with advanced digital receivers currently under development. The channelizer is also used on the transmit side of the system where a signal waveform is electronically synthesized at a conventient I.F. then photonically translated to a desired frequency band and transmitted to the aperture over fiber.