Dual-band photonic device and method for converting frequency
AssigneeThales
InventorsBenoit Benazet, Michel Sotom, Muriel Aveline
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A photonic frequency converter includes an electro-optical intensity modulator having an optical input, one optical output and at least one RF input for receiving two modulation radiofrequency signals at different frequencies; a set of optical sources that are configured to generate optical signals at at least two different wavelengths, the signals being modulated by respective local-oscillator signals at least two of which have different frequencies; and an optical multiplexer arranged to multiplex the optical signals and to inject them into the optical input of the modulator. A method for converting frequency by means of such a converter is also provided.
Claims11
A photonic frequency converter having at least two radiofrequency (RF) input ports, for converting two input RF signals, each of the signals (i) being received on one of the ports and (ii) having a different frequency from the other, into at least two output RF signals at the same time, said photonic frequency converter comprising:
- an electro-optical intensity modulator having an optical input and at least one optical output;
- a set of optical sources that are configured to generate optical signals at a plurality of different wavelengths, said optical signals being modulated by respective local-oscillator signals, at least two of which having different frequencies;
- an optical multiplexer arranged to multiplex said optical signals and to inject them into the optical input of the electro-optical intensity modulator;
- an optical/electrical detecting system configured to convert optical signals issued from the electro-optical intensity modulator to an RF domain;
- and
- a bank of electrical filters, which is configured to extract spectral components of the optical signals converted to the RF domain to deliver the at least two output RF signals, a frequency of each of the output RF signals being based on a combination of a frequency of one of the input RF signals and a frequency of one of said local-oscillator signals;
- wherein the electro-optical intensity modulator also has at least one input for a DC voltage and at least two RF inputs for receiving at the same time two modulation RF signals having each a different frequency from the other.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.