US 11,909,436 B1 · Methods and tunable apparatuses for dynamic dispersion compensation of electromagnetic signals

Abstract

In ultra-wideband or impulse radio terahertz wireless communication, the electromagnetic signal may experience group delay dispersion (GDD). Without correction, this can degrade the achievable data transmission rate. An apparatus comprising a stratified structure having a front portion and a back portion is disclosed. The structure comprises a plurality of adjacent layers of differing refractive indices, wherein each layer has a refractive index different from an immediately adjacent layer. The structure further includes a backing layer at the back portion. The structure defines a GDD, which can be adjusted, and the structure is configured to introduce the GDD to an incident electromagnetic signal and thereby produce a dispersion-compensated electromagnetic signal when the incident signal is reflected by the structure. The GDD of the structure is configured to substantially cancel out the dispersive effects experienced by the electromagnetic signal in the signal path.

Claims32

Dependent claims

An apparatus comprising:

a stratified structure having a front portion and a back portion, the stratified structure comprising a plurality of adjacent layers of differing refractive indices, wherein each layer has a refractive index different from an immediately adjacent layer, the stratified structure further including a backing layer at the back portion;
the stratified structure defining a group delay dispersion, and the stratified structure is configured to introduce the group delay dispersion to an electromagnetic signal incident upon the stratified structure and thereby produce a dispersion-compensated electromagnetic signal when the incident electromagnetic signal is reflected by the stratified structure.

A dynamic dispersion compensator comprising:

a cohort of a plurality of stratified structures arranged relative to each other to communicate an incident electromagnetic signal, wherein the cohort defines a group delay dispersion of the cohort and the cohort is configured to introduce a group delay dispersion to the incident electromagnetic signal and reflect a modified electromagnetic signal, wherein each stratified structure in the cohort includes a front portion and a back portion, and each stratified structure includes a plurality of adjacent layers, and each layer has a refractive index different from an immediately adjacent layer, and each stratified structure includes a backing layer at its back portion, wherein each stratified structure in the cohort defines a group delay dispersion for itself, and wherein the dynamic dispersion compensator configured to be dynamically tunable.

A method of compensating dispersion of an electromagnetic signal, comprising the steps of:

receiving an incident electromagnetic signal by a dynamic dispersion compensator, wherein the dynamic dispersion compensator includes:
a cohort of a plurality of stratified structures arranged relative to each other to communicate the incident electromagnetic signal, wherein the cohort defines a group delay dispersion of the cohort and the cohort is configured to introduce a group delay dispersion to the incident electromagnetic signal, wherein each stratified structure in the cohort includes a front portion and a back portion, and each stratified structure includes a plurality of adjacent layers, and each layer has a refractive index different from an immediately adjacent layer, and each stratified structure includes a backing layer at its back portion, wherein each stratified structure in the cohort defines a group delay dispersion for itself, and wherein the group delay dispersion of the cohort is dynamically tunable;
and
reflecting, by the dynamic dispersion compensator, a modified electromagnetic signal, wherein information carried by the modified electromagnetic signal corresponds to information carried by an initial electromagnetic signal absent experiencing dispersive effects.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Methods and tunable apparatuses for dynamic dispersion compensation of electromagnetic signals

Life of this patent

Methods and tunable apparatuses for dynamic dispersion compensation of electromagnetic signals

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims32