Parallel optical sampler
| DWPI Title: Optical sampler for integration on single integrated circuit (IC) substrate, has optical modulator which is coupled to receive parallel delayed optical sampling signals, and provides successive optical samples of optical analog input signal |
| Abstract: An optical sampler includes a first and second 1×n optical beam splitters splitting an input optical sampling signal and an optical analog input signal into n parallel channels, respectively, a plurality of optical delay elements providing n parallel delayed input optical sampling signals, n photodiodes converting the n parallel optical analog input signals into n respective electrical output signals, and n optical modulators modulating the input optical sampling signal or the optical analog input signal by the respective electrical output signals, and providing n successive optical samples of the optical analog input signal. A plurality of output photodiodes and eADCs convert the n successive optical samples to n successive digital samples. The optical modulator may be a photodiode interconnected Mach-Zehnder Modulator. A method of sampling the optical analog input signal is disclosed. |
| Use: Optical sampler for integration on single IC substrate. |
| Advantage: Improves the fidelity of the transmission link through real time processing of the received optical signal using digital processing. Improves the aggregate data rates through increased modulation speeds and multi-level signaling. |
| Novelty: The optical sampler (1) has first optical beam splitter (10) to receive input optical sampling signal (200) to provide parallel optical sampling signals (110), and second optical beam splitter (20) to receive optical analog input signal to provide parallel optical analog input signals. Optical delay elements (30) receive different parallel optical sampling signals to provide parallel delayed optical sampling signals with different time delays. Optical modulator (400) receives parallel delayed optical sampling signals, and provides successive optical samples of optical analog input signal. |
| Filed: 11/9/2011 |
| Application Number: US13292861A |
| Tech ID: SD 11809.0 |
| This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. DE-NA0003525 awarded by the United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. The Government has certain rights in the invention. |
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