High-dynamic-range hybrid analog-digital control broadband optical spectral processor using micromirror and acousto-optic devices

For the first time, to the best of our knowledge, the design and demonstration of a programmable spectral filtering processor is presented that simultaneously engages the power of an analog-mode optical device such as an acousto-optic tunable filter and a digital-mode optical device such as the digital micromirror device. The demonstrated processor allows a high 50 dB attenuation dynamic range across the chosen 1530-1565 nm (~C band). The hybrid analog-digital spectral control mechanism enables the processor to operate with greater versatility when compared to analog- or digital-only processor designs. Such a processor can be useful both as a test instrument in biomedical applications and as an equalizer in fiber communication networks.     

A novel tunable optical oscillator for broadband signals

A tunable optical oscillator that generates signals at the micro- to millimeter-wave band for wireless communication applications is suggested. It uses directly modulated semiconductor lasers, in which sideband modes and four-wave mixing (FWM) conjugate modes are injection locked by the simple control of the applied modulation power. The signals at 15 GHz with phase noise of below ?95 dBc/Hz at an offset frequency of 100 kHz were experimentally obtained. The frequency of the generated signal is tunable, and the maximum achievable signal frequency is limited mainly by the bandwidth of the receiver.     

Integrated optical devices based on broadband epsilon-near-zero meta-atoms

We verify the feasibility of the proposed theoretical strategy for designing the broadband near-zero permittivity (ENZ) metamaterial at optical frequency range with numerical simulations. In addition, the designed broadband ENZ stack is used as meta-atoms to build functional nanophotonic devices with extraordinary properties, including an ultranarrow electromagnetic energy tunneling channel and an ENZ concave focusing lens.     

Effect of velocity fluctuations in the surface acoustic wave on functional characteristics of waveguide acoustooptic devices for real-time data processing

The characteristics of the basic acoustooptic devices (time-integrating correlator and broadband spectrum analyzer of radio signals) in which the acoustooptic chip is fabricated at a Y-cut lithium niobate substrate are studied in the presence of a relatively small velocity fluctuation of the surface acoustic wave. The main parameters of the device are scaled in accordance with its relative variations.     

Opto-electronic bistable devices in real-time optical information processing

An opto-electronic bistable device using a twisted nematic liquid crystal cell is described. The optical bistability characteristics of this device are used in a new liquid crystal light valve with bistability in cellular array structure. Experimental studies demonstrate the applications of such opto-electronic bistable devices in real-time optical information processing such as intensity limiting for contrast improvement and noise elimination, edge enhancement for pattern recognition, linear and nonlinear optical filtering (in spatial and spectral domains).     

Optical-gyroscope application of efficient crossed-channel acoustooptic devices

An acoustooptic (AO) deflector/modulator using a single-mode crossed-channel waveguide of 2n type and an interdigital transducer is fabricated in aY-Z LiNbO₃ substrate. This module has shown a high diffraction efficiency. A 50% diffraction efficiency and a bandwidth of 13.4 MHz were obtained with 0.13 W of surface-acoustic wave power centered at 320MHz. Since the cross section of the channel waveguide and that of the optical fiber are comparable, the interfacting of the resultant acoustooptic devices with fiber optical systems would greatly simplified. In addition, the frequency-shifted optical beam can be conveniently used as a reference signal or local oscillator in heterodyne detection. Consequently, this cross-channel acoustooptic device should find a variety of applications in realizing an integrated-optics module with a 50–50% power slit, optical communication, and an optical fiber system. One of those applications, optical gyroscopes, is proposed by using this kind of crossed-channel AO device.     

Novel subgridding technique for the analysis of optical devices

A novel subgridding algorithm for the Method of Lines is presented. It enables to refine a mesh in subgridded regions by any positive integer number. High-accuracy of the proposed algorithm is achieved by second-order finite difference operators. The interpolation of the missing field components at the interface coarse/fine grid is performed with second-order accuracy as well. Numerical results are provided to check the accuracy of the proposed formulation.     

On the possibility of extending the dynamic range in acoustooptic analysis of the spectrum of radio signals

A method is proposed to suppress nonlinear distortions arising in the acoustooptic analysis of the spectrum of radio signals. The method is based on the polynomial nonlinear correction of an electric signal before it comes to a piezoelectric transducer. The necessary form of the correction is determined in a wide range of parameters of the acoustooptic interaction. The results of numerical simulation are presented.     

Czerny-Turner imaging spectrometer for broadband spectral simultaneity

A modified asymmetrical Czerny-Turner arrangement with a fixed plane grating is proposed to correct aberrations over a broadband spectral range by analyzing the dependence of aberrations for different wavelengths. The principle of design is deduced in detail. We compare the performance of this modified Czerny-Turner imaging spectrometer with that of the existing Czerny-Turner arrangement by using a practical Czerny-Turner imaging spectrometer example. The excellent performance of the modified imaging spectrometer is confirmed by simulation with ZEMAX software.     

Multi-element Josephson structures for implementing broadband devices

It is proposed the solution of an urgent problem of developing broadband superconducting devices via implementation of multi-element Josephson structures with an expanded dynamic range (due to the increase in the number of cells) and required high linearity of the transfer function of magnetic signal into voltage (due to the use of specially designed Josephson cells with a highly linear voltage response). Active electrically small antenna prototypes based on the proposed multi-element structures are experimentally studied.     

Multi-domain spectral method for modal analysis of optical waveguide

A multi-domain spectral method for scalar optical modal analysis is developed and presented. The method is mesh-free and is applicable to three-dimensional optical waveguide structures that are invariant in one direction. The mode profile is represented as a superposition of one-dimensional preselected basis functions with variable coefficients. As common to spectral methods, the presented method is inherently fast and efficient. Different optical waveguides are analyzed for comparison purpose to exhibit the validity and accuracy of the presented method.     

Towards a model for discrimination of broadband signals

The conventional model for broadband discrimination assumes that resolution is limited by peripheral internal noise that is statistically independent across channels. In this paper, we extend this model in a number of directions. In particular, we compute, compare, and discuss the effects of interchannel correlation and central noise on the sensitivity index d', for discrimination of overall level and discrimination of spectral shape.     

Waveguide invariant focusing for broadband beamforming in an oceanic waveguide

The performance of broadband sonar array processing can degrade significantly in shallow-water environments when interference becomes angularly spread due to multipath propagation. Particularly for towed line arrays near endfire, elevation angle spreading of multipath interference often results in masking of weaker sources of interest. While adaptive beamforming in a series of narrow frequency bands can suppress coherent multipath interference, this approach requires long observation times to estimate the required narrowband covariance matrices. To form wideband covariance matrices which can be estimated with less observation time, plane-wave focusing methods have been used to avoid interference covariance matrix rank inflation. This paper extends wideband focusing to the case of coherent multipath interference. The approach presented here, called waveguide invariant focusing (WIF), exploits a robust relationship for the frequency dependence of horizontal wave number differences. Unlike matched-field methods, WIF does not model multipath wave fronts but rather makes the interference appear to occupy the same rank-one subspace across frequency. This permits formation of wideband covariance matrices without interference rank inflation. Simulation experiments in a realistic ocean environment indicate that adaptive beamforming using WIF covariance matrices can provide a significant array gain improvement over conventional adaptive methods with limited observation time.     

A comparison between MEM and FFT for the spectral analysis of geophysical signals

Summary The results obtained by the maximum entropy method (MEM) for the spectral analysis of real signals (the magnetic-field observations performed by ISEE-2 during periods of solar-wind turbulence upstream of the Earth's bow shock) are compared with those obtained by the traditional fast Fourier transform (FFT) technique. The major relative importance of the dominant wave form suddenly emerges in the MEM analysis and the total frequency excursion of peaks is often smaller than the frequency resolution allowed by the FFT. The expected occurrence of spurious peaks might be less dramatic then in other cases; however, the definite choice of the best power spectrum remains often ambiguous. This research has been supported by the Ministero per la Pubblica Istruzione (40%) and by the Gruppo Italiano di Fisica Cosmica.     

Direct optical spectral analysis of plotted functions

A simple method is outlined by which the power spectrum of conventionally plotted curves may be evaluated. The method is suitable for single- and multichannel analysis.     

Wavelet based spectral analysis of optical solitons

The propagation of solitons or a pulse or a signal through optical fibers has been a major area of research given its potential applicability in all optical communication systems. In a modern optical communication system, the transmission link is composed of optical fibers and amplifiers. This manifests in noise, clutters and distortion when the signal propagates through optical fibers, consequently affecting the capacity and performance of the optical system. The dynamics of solitons has therefore become an active field of research in nonlinear optics for couple of decades. The nonlinear Schrodinger's equation (NLSE) with log law nonlinearity governs the propagation of optical solitons through optical fibers and its dynamics. Most of the studies reveal that the optical solitons have Gaussian wave profile called Gaussons. This entails the use of wavelet techniques for the processing of optical solitons.