Photonic methods of radio-frequency waveform generation and processingprovide performance and flexibility over electronic methods due to theultrawide bandwidth offered by the optical carriers. However, they suffer fromlack of integration and slow reconfiguration speed. Here we propose anarchitecture of integrated photonic RF waveform generation and processing, andimplement it on a silicon chip fabricated in a semiconductor manufacturingfoundry. Our device can generate programmable RF bursts or continuous waveformswith only the light source, electrical drives/controls and detectors being offchip. It turns on and off an individual pulse in the RF burst within 4nanoseconds, achieving a reconfiguration speed three orders of magnitude fasterthan thermal tuning. The on-chip optical delay elements offers an integratedapproach to accurately manipulate individual RF waveform features withoutconstrains set by the speed and timing jitter of electronics, and should findbroad applications ranging from high-speed wireless to defense electronics.
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