Space Evaluation of Optical Modulators for Microwave Photonic On-Board Applications

Since several years, perspectives and assets offered by photonic technologies compared with their traditional RF counterparts (mass and volume reduction, transparency to RF frequency, RF isolation), make them particularly attractive for space applications [1] and, in particular, telecommunication satellites [2]. However, the development of photonic payload concepts have concurrently risen and made the problem of the ability of optoelectronic components to withstand space environment more and more pressing. Indeed, photonic components used in such photonic payloads architectures come from terrestrial networks applications in order to benefit from research and development in this field. This paper presents some results obtained in the frame of an ESA-funded project, carried out by Thales Alenia Space France, as prime contractor, and Alter Technology Group Spain (ATG) and Universidad Politecnica de Madrid (UPM), as subcontractors, one objective of which was to assess commercial high frequency optical intensity modulators for space use through a functional and environmental test campaign. Their potential applications in microwave photonic sub-systems of telecom satellite payloads are identified and related requirements are presented. Optical modulator technologies are reviewed and compared through, but not limited to, a specific figure of merit, taking into account two key features of these components : optical insertion loss and RF half-wave voltage. Some conclusions on these different technologies are given, on the basis of the test results, and their suitability for the targeted applications and environment is highlighted

The H2020-SPACE-SIPHODIAS project: Space-grade optoelectronic interfaces for photonic digital and analogue very-high-throughput satellite payloads

The EU-SIPhoDiAS project deals with the development of critical photonic building blocks needed for high-performance and low size, weight, and power (SWaP) photonics-enabled Very High Throughput Satellites (VHTS). In this presentation, we report on the design and fabrication activities during the first year of the project concerning the targeted family of digital and microwave photonic components. This effort aims to demonstrate components of enhanced reliability at technology readiness level (TRL) 7. Specifically, with respect to microwave photonic links, we report: (i) the design of Ka and Q-bands analogue photodetectors that will be assembled in compact packages, allowing for very high bandwidth per unit area and (ii) on the design of compact V-band GaAs electro-optic modulator arrays, which use a folded-path optical configuration to manage all fiber interfaces packaged opposite direct in-line RF feeds for ease of board layouts and mass/size benefits. With respect to digital links, we report on the development of 100 Gb/s (4 x 25 Gb/s) digital optical transceiver sub-assemblies developed using flip-chip mounting of electronic and opto-parts on a high-reliability borosilicate substrate. The transceiver chipset developed specifically for this project refers to fully-custom 25 Gb/s radiation hard (RH) VCSEL driver and TIA ICs designed in IHP’s 130 nm SiGe BiCMOS Rad-Hard process

Extrapolation of radiation induced EDFA gain degradation at space dose rate

International audienc

Radiation Environment Effects on an Erbium-doped Fiber Amplifier

International audienc

Architecture and performance of a broadcast and select photonic switch

A new photonic packet switch based on wavelength encoding of information and on the broadcast-and-select principle for routing is presented. A suitable management of a set of fiber delay lines to allow all-optical output queuing is performed through electronic control. Implementation and traffic aspects are analyzed. Experimental results are given to demonstrate the feasibility of the switch and its future evolution, achieved by a rack-mounted subequipped demonstrator. Different design options are discussed in order to achieve a global terabit per second capacity. Performance is evaluated by simulation under the typical traffic conditions that arise in the broadband communication environment. © 1998 Academic Press

Radiation Environment Effects on an Erbium-doped Fiber Amplifier

International audienc

Architecture and Performance of a Broadcast and Select Photonic Switch

A new photonic packet switch based on wavelength encoding ofinformation and on the broadcast-and-select principle for routing ispresented. A suitable management of a set of fiber delay lines toallow all-optical output queuing is performed through electroniccontrol. Implementation and traffic aspects are analyzed.Experimental results are given to demonstrate the feasibility of theswitch and its future evolution, achieved by a rack mountedsub-equipped demonstrator. Different design options are discussed inorder to achieve a global terabit per second capacity.Performance have been evaluated by simulation under the typicaltraffic conditions that arise in the broadband communicationenvironment

Experimental demonstration of the switching dose-rate method on doped optical fibers

International audienc

A New Photonic-Device Assessment-Method for Space Applications

International audienc

Radiation-resistant erbium-doped-nanoparticles optical fiber for space applications

International audienceIn the last decade, there has been increased interest in photonic technology for new satellite applications. One critical issue is the high sensitivity to radiative environments of the Erbium Doped Fiber (EDF). It leads to a radiation-induced absorption (RIA) that is not due to erbium content but mainly to the aluminium that ensures the erbium inclusion in glass. As the radiation induced losses grow as an exponential function of fiber length, the principal way so far to reduce EDFA degradation has consisted in increasing erbium concentration using conventional doping techniques. However, this is limited by the quenching effect, which impacts the fiber length needed to reach high gain, but also by the Aluminium-induced RIA. It has been recently proposed an original nanoparticle (NP) doping approach, which allows codopant content decrease with reduced quenching impact, while keeping EDF amplifying performances. A radiation-resistant amplifier can thus be designed as a "quenching-free", heavily-erbium-doped amplifier with low RIA. We demonstrate for the first time an aluminium-free EDF, exhibiting low quenching and low RIA. Despite the lack of aluminium, using silica NPs allows an erbium concentration close to the one of standard EDFs (200 ppm). This fiber is compared to a 1400 ppm Erbium-doped optical fiber with a strong aluminium concentration. Whereas the two fibers exhibit similar initial optical gain (15 dB under saturation conditions), the NP doped Al-free EDF shows only 2 dB gain reduction after a 600 Gy gamma deposit, while the Al/Er EDF incurs more than 10 dB gain degradation