Comparison of Analog R-F Photonic Links Using a Variety of Linearized Electro-Optic Modulators

The potential applications of high dynamic range analog r-f photonic links include antenna remoting, photonic-coupled phased-array antennas, and cable-television transmission. This paper compares the results obtained with a number of different modulator types and link configurations and gives recent experimental results. Further details on the analysis and results for some of the schemes can be found in a review paper that will appear later this year

Intermodulation distortion in high dynamic range microwave fiber-optic links with linearized modulators

Linearization of integrated optic intensity modulators significantly reduces the two-tone intermodulation distortion. The resulting intermodulation distortion produced by these modulators then varies as the input power to the fifth-order link system, the overall intermodulation product is a combination of third-order and higher-order terms. The authors determine the dynamic range of a cascaded microwave network consisting of a preamplifier, a high-dynamic-range fiber-optic link with a highly linear modulator, and a postamplifier. An expression is found that relates the intermodulation power at the output to the relative suppression from the signal level. As an example, a hypothetical 10-GHz low-distortion fiber-optic link that has a dynamic range of 125 dB in a bandwidth of 1 Hz is cascaded with various preamplifiers, and it is shown that the dynamic range of the system is reduced by as much as 20 dB, depending on the third-order intercept of the amplifier

Distortion in linearized electrooptic modulators

Intermodulation and harmonic distortion are calculated for a simple fiber-optic link with a representative set of link parameters and a variety of electrooptic modulators: simple Mach-Zehnder, linearized dual and triple Mach-Zehnder, simple directional coupler (two operating points), and linearized directional coupler with one and two dc electrodes. The resulting dynamic ranges, gains, and noise figures are compared for these modulators. A new definition of dynamic range is proposed to accommodate the more complicated variation of intermodulation with input power exhibited by linearized modulators. The effects of noise bandwidth, preamplifier distortion, and errors in modulator operating conditions are described

Production of gaseous fuel by pyrolysis of municipal solid waste

Pilot plant tests were conducted on a simulated solid waste which was a mixture of shredded newspaper, wood waste, polyethylene plastics, crushed glass, steel turnings, and water. Tests were conducted at 1400 F in a lead-bath pyrolyser. Cold feed was deaerated by compression and was dropped onto a moving hearth of molten lead before being transported to a sealed storage container. About 80 percent of the feed's organic content was converted to gaseous products which contain over 90 percent of the potential waste energy; 12 percent was converted to water; and 8 percent remained as partially pyrolyzed char and tars. Nearly half of the carbon in the feed is converted to benzene, toluene and medium-quality fuel gas, a potential credit of over $25 per ton of solid waste. The system was shown to require minimal preprocessing and less sorting then other methods

Wave-Coupled W-Band LiNbO_3 Mach-Zehnder Modulator

Summary form only given. Mach-Zehnder amplitude modulators have been designed for W-band operation (94 GHz), at a 1.3-μm optical wavelength. These modulators use bow-tie antennas, which are relatively insensitive to DC bias connections made to the ends of the antenna elements. The bow-ties should also give a greater bandwidth than the dipole antennas

Antenna-coupled millimeter-wave LiNbO_3 electro-optic modulator

The phase-velocity mismatch due to material dispersion in traveling-wave LiNbO_3 optical waveguide modulators may be greatly reduced by breaking the modulation transmission line into short segments and connecting each segment to its own surface antenna. The array of antennas is then illuminated by the modulation signal at an angle which produces a delay from antenna to antenna to match the optical waveguide's delay

60 GHz and 94 GHz antenna-coupled LiNbO_3 electrooptic modulators

Antenna-coupled LiBbO_3 electrooptic modulators can overcome the material dispersion which would otherwise prevent sensitive high-frequency operation. The authors previously demonstrated the concept with a phase modulator at X-band. They have extended this demonstration to a narrowband 60-GHz phase modulator and broadband amplitude modulator designs at 60 and 94 GHz, respectively

Wave-coupled LiNbO_3 electrooptic modulator for microwave and millimeter-wave modulation

A new technique of phase velocity matching in electrooptic modulators was demonstrated. The results show that the phase velocity mismatch due to material dispersion in traveling-wave LiNbO_3 optical waveguide modulators can be greatly reduced by breaking the modulation transmission line into short segments and connecting each segment to its own surface dipole antenna. The array of antennas is then illuminated by the modulation signal from below at the proper angle to produce a delay from antenna to antenna that matches the optical waveguide's delay. A phase modulator 25 mm in length with five antennas and five transmission line segments was operated from 4.6 to 13 GHz with a maximum phase modulation sensitivity of over 100°/W^(1/2)

Novel Millimeter-Wave Electro-optic Modulator

A waveguide LiNbO_3 electro-optic modulator has been demonstrated with a novel wave-coupling technique which greatly reduces phase-velocity mismatch. An 8-12 GHz version produces 48° phase modulation with 126 mW of drive power. A 60 GHz version is being built