Photonic Radio-Frequency Arbitrary Waveform Generation With Maximal Time-Bandwidth Product Capability

We present an innovative photonic strategy to generate arbitrary microwave and millimeter-wave signals with maximal time-bandwidth product capability and broadly tunable center frequency. The proposed approach incorporates high-resolution pulse shaping, optical interferometry, and the concept of frequency-to-time mapping in order to enable independent control over the temporal amplitude, temporal phase, and center frequency of the generated waveforms. Numerical simulation and experimental results validate that the time-bandwidth product of these pulses is equal to the upper bound set by the number of independent pulse shaper control elements, extending to more than twice that of conventional frequency-to-time mapping techniques. We thus demonstrate a record photonic arbitrary waveform generation time-bandwidth product of ∼589. Also, a length 15 Costas sequence realization is implemented to further portray the potentials of this technique. Detailed analysis of the repeatability and stability of these waveforms as well as higher order dispersion compensation is provided.

I. Introduction

DURING the last couple of decades, the ongoing challenge of radio-frequency arbitrary waveform generation (RF-AWG) in the high-microwave and millimeter-wave (MMW) frequency region has impeded the satisfactory development of many applications within this regime. As a result of the over-congestion of low-frequency bands, successful access to the broad frequency region between 30 and 300 GHz is a fundamental prerequisite in the evolution of a large number of applications, such as high-resolution ranging, electromagnetic imaging, remote sensing and high-speed wireless communications [1]– [5] .