Programmable True Time Delay Lines Using Integrated Waveguide Meshes

[EN] We analyze and explore the potential that waveguide-mesh-based architectures used in programmable photonic integrated circuits can be configured to enable true time optical delay lines, which can find applications in different microwave photonics functionalities, such as beamforming and optical...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Pérez-López, Daniel, Sánchez-Gomáriz, Erica, Capmany Francoy, José|||0000-0002-6460-4167
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2018
País:España
Institución:Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV)
Repositorio:RiuNet. Repositorio Institucional de la Universitat Politécnica de Valéncia
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:riunet.upv.es:10251/120696
Acceso en línea:https://riunet.upv.es/handle/10251/120696
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Integrated optics
Microwave photonics
Programmable photonics
Signal processing
TEORIA DE LA SEÑAL Y COMUNICACIONES
Descripción
Sumario:[EN] We analyze and explore the potential that waveguide-mesh-based architectures used in programmable photonic integrated circuits can be configured to enable true time optical delay lines, which can find applications in different microwave photonics functionalities, such as beamforming and optical filtering. We also propose and experimentally demonstrate an alternative standalone tunable basic unit (TBU) architecture where its internal coupling device is implemented by means of a dual-drive tunable directional coupler (DD-TDC) that performs independent amplitude beam splitting and phase shifting. Compared to the previous alternatives based on 3-dB balanced Mach-Zehnder interferometers, the DD-TDC reduces by more than two times the insertion losses of TBUs enabling the potential realization of larger meshes with a three-fold enhanced step-time resolution. Bandwidth and robustness analysis are also considered.