Wide-range, high-precision multiple microwave frequency measurement using a chip-based photonic Brillouin filter

Spectrum analysis is a key functionality in modern radio frequency (RF) systems. In particular, fast and accurate estimation of multiple unknown RF signal frequencies over a wide measurement range is crucial in defense applications. Although photonic techniques benefit from an enhanced frequency estimation range along with reduced size and weight relative to their RF counterparts, they have been limited by a fundamental trade-off between measurement range and accuracy. Here, we circumvent this trade-off by harnessing the photon and phonon interactions in a photonic chip through stimulated Brillouin scattering, resulting in an accurate estimation of multiple RFs of up to 38 GHz with a record-low error of 1 MHz.

[1]  Songnian Fu,et al.  Instantaneous Microwave Frequency Measurement Based on Amplified Fiber-Optic Recirculating Delay Loop and BroadBand Incoherent Light Source , 2011, Journal of Lightwave Technology.

[2]  D. Marpaung,et al.  Low-power, chip-based stimulated Brillouin scattering microwave photonic filter with ultrahigh selectivity , 2014, 1412.4236.

[3]  Shilie Zheng,et al.  Microwave spectrum sensing based on photonic time stretch and compressive sampling. , 2013, Optics letters.

[4]  Filippo Neri Introduction to electronic defense systems , 1991 .

[5]  David Marpaung,et al.  Nonlinear integrated microwave photonics , 2013, 2013 IEEE International Topical Meeting on Microwave Photonics (MWP).

[6]  P. W. East Design techniques and performance of digital IFM , 1982 .

[7]  B. Eggleton,et al.  Inducing and harnessing stimulated Brillouin scattering in photonic integrated circuits , 2013 .

[8]  Robert A Minasian,et al.  Instantaneous high-resolution multiple-frequency measurement system based on frequency-to-time mapping technique. , 2014, Optics letters.

[9]  David Marpaung,et al.  Frequency agile microwave photonic notch filter with anomalously high stopband rejection. , 2013, Optics letters.

[10]  James B. Y. Tsui,et al.  Microwave receivers with electronic warfare applications , 1986 .

[11]  P. W. East Fifty years of instantaneous frequency measurement , 2012 .

[12]  C Sterner,et al.  Photonic scanning receiver using an electrically tuned fiber Bragg grating. , 2009, Optics letters.

[13]  D. Marpaung On-Chip Photonic-Assisted Instantaneous Microwave Frequency Measurement System , 2013, IEEE Photonics Technology Letters.

[14]  Raphaël Van Laer,et al.  Interaction between light and highly confined hypersound in a silicon photonic nanowire , 2014, Nature Photonics.