Single-shot photonic time-intensity integration based on a time-spectrum convolution system

Abstract

Real-time and single-shot ultra-fast photonic time-intensity integration of arbitrary temporal waveforms is proposed and demonstrated. The intensity-integration concept is based on a time-spectrum convolution system, where the use of a multi-wavelength laser with a flat envelope, employed as the incoherent broadband source, enables single-shot operation. The experimental implementation is based on optical intensity modulation of the multi-wavelength laser with the input waveform, followed by linear dispersion. In particular, photonic temporal intensity integration with a processing bandwidth of 36.8 GHz over an integration time window of 1.24 ns is verified by experimentally measuring the integration of an ultra-short microwave pulse and an arbitrary microwave waveform.

Optical time-domain processing of broadband microwave signals

“…Considering the incoherent nature of the interference process, the time-delayed copies of the original temporal waveform will add up in intensity at the system output (in average). As discussed above, to achieve time integration in a single-shot basis, one can employ an optical periodic frequency comb spectrum ideally having a rectangular-shaped envelope [6], see schematic in Fig. 2.…”

“…However, given that 'convolution' is a fundamental mathematical operation of general interest in signal theory, the TSC concept has been recently exploited for a wide range of different photonic signal processing applications [4]. This communication reviews recent work on TSC-based techniques aimed at implementing basic timedomain microwave signal processing functionalities, including temporal correlation [4], time integration [5,6] and differentiation [7], chromatic dispersion for real-time Fourier transformation [8] etc., of microwave signals with bandwidths exceeding the GHz range.…”

Temporal Imaging of Incoherent-Light Intensity Waveforms Based on a Gated Time-Lens System

“…As such, there is an increasing interest on the implementation of optical processing of high-speed time-domain signals using partially coherent or incoherent light waves [1]- [9], instead of the more conventional use of pulsed laser sources. Demonstrated functionalities using incoherent-light processing include arbitrary optical waveform generation [4], [5], ultrahigh dispersion of broadband radio-frequency (RF) signals [6], photonic temporal differentiation [7] and integration [8], etc.…”

Coupled-resonator optical waveguides for temporal integration of optical signals

“…In this regard, it is important to implement the basic computing operations optically. In recent years, all-optical integrators based on Bragg grating [2], ring resonator [3], a time-spectrum convolution system [4] have been proposed. Such integrators can be used in both digital and analog signal processing.…”