Abstract:
A time to digital converter (TDC) is able to be utilized for measuring a time interval between two signals with a very fine time resolution, which is defined as the difference in propagation delay per stage between two rings or chains of delay stages. The Vernier ring TDC, Vernier TDC with comparator matrix or Vernier ring TDCs with comparator matrix comprise two rings or chains of delay stages with slightly different propagation delays per stage and a plurality of comparators for comparing two signals propagation along two rings or chains and determining when the lag signal passes the lead signal. The lead and lag signal are initiated by two events and are each fed into a separate one the first stages of one of the specified rings or chains. The comparators are able to be organized in a comparator matrix in order to occupy less space and permit reuse. As a result, the input time interval (the time between the two initiating events) is able to be measured through the product of the time resolution and the number of stages through which the two signals propagated.
Abstract:
An apparatus includes a first laser source for providing a first lightwave; a first optical coupler that is polarization maintaining for dividing the first lightwave into first and second optical carrier lightwaves; first and second modulators for modulating respective ones of the first and second carrier lightwaves with information; a polarization beam combiner for combining the modulated first and second carrier lightwaves which generates a polarization multiplexing optical signal; second and third lasers for providing second and third lightwaves whose wavelengths are one of both longer than that of the first lightwave and shorter than that of the first lightwave, a second optical coupler that is polarization maintaining for combining the second and third lightwaves; and a third optical coupler for combining the modulated first and second carrier lightwaves from the polarization beam combiner and the combined second and third lightwaves out of the second optical coupler for transmission over an optical medium.
Abstract:
An optical wireless network includes an optical coupler for diverting received millimeter-wave signals comprised of an optical carrier and second order sidebands into multiple transmission paths; a downstream optical path being one of the multiple transmission paths and including an optical filter for filtering passing through the optical carrier with a single sideband, a converter for converting the optical carrier and single sideband to a corresponding electrical signal for amplification and broadcast transmission from an antenna; and an upstream path being one of the multiple transmission paths and having a filter for passing through the optical carrier only from the mm-wave signals and an intensity modulator driven by data received over the antenna to modulate the optical carrier for optical transmission to a receiving destination.
Abstract:
An optical transmitter including a dividing optical coupler for dividing a lightwave onto optical paths; a first optical modulator in a first of the optical paths and driven by an I component of a first signal and a I component of a second signal for modulating the lightwave, a DC bias of the first optical modulator being at a quadrature point; a second optical modulator in a second of the optical paths and driven by a Q component of the first signal and a Q component of the second signal for modulating the lightwave, a DC bias of the second optical modulator being at the quadrature point; a phase shifter for generating a 90 degree phase shift in the Q components of the first and second signals that are modulated by the second optical coupler; and a combining optical coupler for combining the modulated lightwave from the first optical coupler and the phase shifted Q components of the first and second signals for generating a quadrature amplitude modulated signal.
Abstract:
A method of generating a dark-RZ pulse in an optical communications system with a dual-arm modulator by setting a direct current bias on the modulator to a specific value such that an output optical power from the modulator achieves a maximum value when the RF signals on the first and second arms of the modulator are off and maintaining the direct current bias at the specific value and applying RF signals to the first and second arms of the modulator and delaying one of the RF signals applied to one of the first and second arms relative to the other of the RF signals such that a dark-RZ pulse is generated with a duty cycle based on the delay. Another aspect of the invention provides a method for generating dense wave division multiplexing (DWDM) optical mm-waves in an optical transmission system by phase modulated DWDM optical signal and applying the phase modulated DWDM optical signal to an input port of an optical interleaver, the optical interleaver having a specified bandwidth to suppress the optical carriers and convert the DWDM optical signal to DWDM optical mm-waves; and amplifying the DWDM optical mm-waves and transmitting the DWDM optical mm-waves over single mode fiber (SMF).
Abstract:
A method includes coupling an optical signal upconverted to a higher frequency and a digital signal having a bit rate similar to that of a subchannel of the upconverted optical signal, and obtaining, responsive to the coupling, a transmission signal with an optical carrier frequency carrying the digital signal and subchannels about the optical carrier frequency carrying the upconverted optical signal, the bit rate of the optical carrier being similar to that of the subchannels. In a preferred embodiment, the coupling includes electrically power coupling the upconverted optical signal with the digital signal, and modulating the coupled optical carrier frequency carrying the digital signal and subchannels about the optical carrier frequency carrying the upconverted optical signal.
Abstract:
An apparatus includes a first laser source for providing a first lightwave; a first optical coupler that is polarization maintaining for dividing the first lightwave into first and second optical carrier lightwaves; first and second modulators for modulating respective ones of the first and second carrier lightwaves with information; a polarization beam combiner for combining the modulated first and second carrier lightwaves which generates a polarization multiplexing optical signal; second and third lasers for providing second and third lightwaves whose wavelengths are one of both longer than that of the first lightwave and shorter than that of the first lightwave, a second optical coupler that is polarization maintaining for combining the second and third lightwaves; and a third optical coupler for combining the modulated first and second carrier lightwaves from the polarization beam combiner and the combined second and third lightwaves out of the second optical coupler for transmission over an optical medium.
Abstract:
A passive optical equalizer and a predistortion technique are employed to reduce pattern effect in optical signals which result from narrow filtering.
Abstract:
A short pulse generation system and method of generating a short pulse signal are provided. The system includes a fiber chain having an input for receiving an optical signal having a plurality of optical pulses. The fiber chain is nonlinear with respect to the optical signal and includes a first normal fiber segment having a relatively small chromatic parameter, a first abnormal fiber segment having a relatively large chromatic parameter coupled to an output of the first normal fiber segment, and a second abnormal fiber segment having a relatively small chromatic parameter coupled to an out of the first abnormal fiber segment. The system includes a filter stage coupled to an output of the fiber chain and that has a transparent wavelength selected to regenerate the signal. A short pulse signal is produced when the optical signal is coupled to the input.