Onori Daniel, Samani Alireza, Crockett Benjamin, Plant David V, Azaña José
Opt Express. 2022 Jun 6;30(12):22040-22050. doi: 10.1364/OE.454377.
Precise and agile detection of radio frequency (RF) signals over an ultra-wide frequency range is a key functionality in modern communication, radar, and surveillance systems, as well as for radio astronomy and laboratory testing. However, current microwave solutions are inadequate for achieving the needed high performance in a chip-scale format, with the desired reduced cost, size, weight, and power. Photonics-based technologies have been identified as a potential solution but the need to compensate for the inherent noise of the involved laser sources have prevented on-chip realization of wideband RF signal detection systems. Here, we report an approach for ultra-wide range, highly-accurate detection of RF signals using a conceptually novel feed-forward laser's noise cancelling architecture integrated on chip. The technique is applied to realization of an RF scanning receiver as well as a complete radar transceiver integrated on a CMOS-compatible silicon-photonics chip, offering an unprecedented selectivity > 80 dB, spectral resolution < 1 kHz, and tunability in the full 0.5-35 GHz range. The reported work represents a significant step towards the development of integrated system-on-chip platforms for signal detection, analysis and processing in cognitive communication and radar network applications.
在超宽频率范围内精确且灵活地检测射频（RF）信号，是现代通信、雷达和监视系统以及射电天文学和实验室测试中的一项关键功能。然而，当前的微波解决方案不足以在芯片规模上实现所需的高性能，同时降低成本、尺寸、重量和功耗。基于光子学的技术已被视为一种潜在的解决方案，但需要补偿所涉及激光源的固有噪声，这阻碍了宽带RF信号检测系统在芯片上的实现。在此，我们报告一种利用集成在芯片上的概念新颖的前馈激光噪声消除架构，实现超宽范围、高精度RF信号检测的方法。该技术应用于实现一个RF扫描接收器以及一个集成在CMOS兼容硅光子芯片上的完整雷达收发器，提供了前所未有的大于80 dB的选择性、小于1 kHz的光谱分辨率以及在整个0.5 - 35 GHz范围内的可调性。所报道的工作代表了朝着开发用于认知通信和雷达网络应用中信号检测、分析和处理的集成片上系统平台迈出的重要一步。
