Ultra Wideband Signals and Systems in Communication Engineering

Resonance conditions for a substrate-superstrate printed antenna geometry which allow for large antenna gain are presented. Asymptotic formulas for gain, beamwidth, and bandwidth are given, and the bandwidth limitation of the method is discussed. The method is extended to produce narrow patterns about the horizon, and directive patterns at two different angles.

Gain enhancement methods for printed circuit antennas

Recent advances in photonic integration have propelled microwave photonic technologies to new heights. The ability to interface hybrid material platforms to enhance light–matter interactions has led to the development of ultra-small and high-bandwidth electro-optic modulators, low-noise frequency synthesizers and chip signal processors with orders-of-magnitude enhanced spectral resolution. On the other hand, the maturity of high-volume semiconductor processing has finally enabled the complete integration of light sources, modulators and detectors in a single microwave photonic processor chip and has ushered the creation of a complex signal processor with multifunctionality and reconfigurability similar to electronic devices. Here, we review these recent advances and discuss the impact of these new frontiers for short- and long-term applications in communications and information processing. We also take a look at the future perspectives at the intersection of integrated microwave photonics and other fields including quantum and neuromorphic photonics. This Review discusses recent advances of microwave photonic technologies and their applications in communications and information processing, as well as their potential implementations in quantum and neuromorphic photonics.

Integrated microwave photonics

A new class of planar optics has emerged using subwavelength gratings with a large refractive index contrast, herein referred to as high-contrast gratings (HCGs). This seemingly simple structure lends itself to extraordinary properties, which can be designed top-down based on intuitive guidelines. The HCG is a single layer of high-index material that can be as thin as 15% of one wavelength. It can be designed to reflect or transmit nearly completely and with specific optical phase over a broad spectral range and/or various incident beam angles. We present a simple theory providing an intuitive phase selection rule to explain the extraordinary features. Our analytical results agree well not only with numerical simulations but also experimental data. The HCG has made easy fabrication of surface-normal optical devices possible, including vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs), tunable VCSELs, and tunable filters. HCGs can be designed to result in high-quality-factor (Q) resonators with surface-normal output, which is promising for wafer-scale lasers and optical sensors. Spatially chirped HCGs are shown to be excellent focusing reflectors and lenses with very high numerical apertures. This field has seen rapid advances in experimental demonstrations and theoretical results. We provide an overview of the underlying new physics and the latest results of devices.

/pdf/high-contrast-gratings-for-integrated-optoelectronics-3ykfc99oae.pdf

High-contrast gratings for integrated optoelectronics

A vertical-cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) was invented 30 years ago. A lot of unique features can be expected, such as low-power consumption, wafer-level testing, small packaging capability, and so on. The market of VCSELs has been growing up rapidly in recent years, and they are now key devices in local area networks using multimode optical fibers. Also, long wavelength VCSELs are currently attracting much interest for use in single-mode fiber metropolitan area and wide area network applications. In addition, a VCSEL-based disruptive technology enables various consumer applications such as a laser mouse and laser printers. In this paper, the recent advance of VCSEL photonics will be reviewed, which include the wavelength extension of single-mode VCSELs and their wavelength integration/control. Also, this paper explores the potential and challenges for new functions of VCSELs toward optical signal processing

https://cnst.nctu.edu.tw/mbe08/abstract/6-13.30-14.00-koyama.pdf

Recent Advances of VCSEL Photonics

We propose a novel approach to generating millimeter-wave (MMW) ultrawideband (UWB) signal based on nonlinear polarization rotation (NPR) in a highly nonlinear fiber (HNLF). The MMW UWB signal is background-free by eliminating the baseband frequency components using an optical filter. The proposed scheme is theoretically analyzed and experimentally verified. The generated MMW UWB signal centered at 25.5 GHz has a 10-dB bandwidth of 7 GHz from 22 to 29 GHz, which fully satisfies the spectral mask regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Generation of FCC-compliant and background-free millimeter-wave ultrawideband signal based on nonlinear polarization rotation in a highly nonlinear fiber.

Based on the high frequency techniques such as frequency response measurement, equivalent circuit modeling and packaging parasitics compensation, a comprehensive optimization method for packaging high-speed semiconductor laser module is presented in this paper. The experiments show that the small-signal magnitude frequency response of the TO packaged laser module is superior to that of laser diode in frequencies, and the in-band flatness and the phase-frequency linearity are also improved significantly.

Overall optimization of high-speed semiconductor laser modules

Tunable single notch microwave photonic filter based on delay lines

Considered to only exist in fairy tales in the past, invisibility cloaks have been successively converted into reality no matter in the spatial domain or the temporal domain. Inspired by the spatial cloaking, time gaps are utilized to hide temporal events. However, a sophisticated synchronization for cloaking is indispensable in these cloaking techniques, therefore leaving inconvenience for the realization of the temporal cloak. Here, by exploiting the temporal Talbot effect, we propose a brand new scheme and concept to achieve a temporal cloak without any synchronization for the cloaking process, under which the intensity-modulated event is directly turned into invisibility in intensity through temporal averaging effect induced by the Talbot effect. We successfully realize the temporal cloak for periodic and pseudo-random signals. We also find that the higher order temporal Talbot effect is beneficial to the cloaking performance. Due to the transformed information on the phase, the data could be recovered from the intensity-cloaked waveform, leading to a non-full-field cloak. This method and its concept render a distinct perspective for the temporal cloak, extend temporal cloak to the pulsed-wave, and promote the development of confidential communication.

Temporal Cloak Without Synchronization

Fluctuation of the optical power incident on a photodiode will cause phase variation of the electrical signal. This phenomenon is known as amplitude-to-phase (AM-to-PM) conversion. The effects of bias voltage and test frequency on AM-to-PM conversion are described systematically in this paper. A larger null point of AM-to-PM coefficient and smaller phase variation have been observed when bias voltage increases or test frequency decreases. The variation of transit time which is caused by different carrier velocity is the main reason of the phase variation. The influence mechanism of bias on AM-to-PM conversion has been explained in detail by giving the relationship between the carrier drift velocity and the internal electric field related to bias. When the internal voltage exceeds a certain value, the transit time will be almost unchanged and the phase variation is small because of saturated drift velocity. These results can provide guidance to operate the optoelectronic link under optimal conditions.

/pdf/the-effect-of-bias-and-frequency-on-amplitude-to-phase-31gfbeim7c.pdf

Ninghua Zhu

Papers

Generation of FCC-compliant and background-free millimeter-wave ultrawideband signal based on nonlinear polarization rotation in a highly nonlinear fiber.

Overall optimization of high-speed semiconductor laser modules

Tunable single notch microwave photonic filter based on delay lines

Temporal Cloak Without Synchronization

The Effect of Bias and Frequency on Amplitude to Phase Conversion of Photodiodes