Photonic RF and microwave reconfigurable filters and true time delays based on an integrated optical Kerr frequency comb source

TL;DR

This paper presents a novel integrated optical Kerr frequency comb source for high-performance, reconfigurable RF and microwave filters and true time delay systems, suitable for advanced phased array and filtering applications.

Contribution

It introduces an integrated micro-ring resonator-based Kerr optical comb source enabling reconfigurable RF/microwave functions with high performance and tunability.

Findings

Achieved high-Q microwave photonic filters with wideband tunability

Demonstrated true time delay for phased array antennas with high angular resolution

Results closely match theoretical predictions

Abstract

We demonstrate advanced transversal radio frequency (RF) and microwave functions based on a Kerr optical comb source generated by an integrated micro-ring resonator. We achieve extremely high performance for an optical true time delay aimed at tunable phased array antenna applications, as well as reconfigurable microwave photonic filters. Our results agree well with theory. We show that our true time delay would yield a phased array antenna with features that include high angular resolution and a wide range of beam steering angles, while the microwave photonic filters feature high Q factors, wideband tunability, and highly reconfigurable filtering shapes. These results show that our approach is a competitive solution to implementing reconfigurable, high performance and potentially low cost RF and microwave