Temporal resolution and fidelity enhancement of arbitrary waveforms
An apparatus, comprising: Mach-Zehnder modulators (MZMs) numbered MZM #1 to MZM #n that exhibit nonlinearity between an input electrical domain signal and an output optical domain signal; a waveform source for applying a first voltage waveform to a first optical arm of said MZM #1; a laser source configured to direct laser light into the two arms of at least said MZM #1 to produce a first output optical domain signal; the apparatus being provided for utilizing said first output optical signal and the nonlinearities of MZMs numbered MZM #2 to said MZM #n to produce a final output voltage waveform that, compared to said input voltage, comprises at least one of: a shorter rise time, a shorter fall time, an increased signal temporal resolution or small signal dynamic range, an increased vertical resolution for small signals or large signals, a reduced noise on small signals or large signals and an increased bandwidth.
1. An apparatus, comprising:
Mach-Zehnder modulators (MZMs) numbered MZM #1 to MZM #n, said MZMs exhibiting nonlinearity between an input electrical domain signal and an output optical domain signal;
a waveform source for applying a first voltage waveform to a first optical arm of said MZM #1;
a laser source for producing laser light and configured to direct said laser light into the two arms of at least said MZM #1 to produce a first output optical domain signal;
means utilizing said first output optical signal and the nonlinearities of MZMs numbered MZM #2 to said MZM #n to produce a final output voltage waveform, wherein, compared to said input voltage, said output voltage waveform comprises at least one of
(i) a shorter rise time,
(ii) a shorter fall time,
(iii) an increased signal temporal resolution,
(iv) an increased small signal dynamic range,
(v) an increased vertical resolution for small signals,
(vi) an increased vertical resolution for large signals,
(vii) a reduced noise on small signals,
(viii) a reduced noise on large signals and
(ix) an increased bandwidth.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said means utilizing said first output optical signal and the nonlinearities of MZMs numbered MZM #2 to said MZM #n comprise said MZMs numbered MZM #2 to said MZM #n configured in a cascaded configuration with MZM #1, wherein said first voltage waveform is only applied to said first arm of said MZM #1 and wherein said first output optical signal is detected by a first detector to produce a first voltage waveform that is applied to an optical arm of said MZM #2.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said means utilizing said first output optical signal and the nonlinearities of MZMs numbered MZM #2 to said MZM #n comprise said MZMs numbered MZM #2 to said MZM #n configured in a series configuration with MZM #1, wherein said first voltage waveform is applied to an optical arm of all said MZMs.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each said MZM is biased at null.
5. An apparatus, comprising:
a first stage including:
a first laser light source for providing first laser light;
a first Mach-Zehnder modulator (MZM) comprising a first optical arm and a second optical arm, wherein said first MZM is configured to receive at least a first portion of said first laser light into said first optical arm and at least a second portion of said first laser light into said second optical arm;
a voltage source for applying an input voltage waveform to at least one of said first optical arm or said second optical arm, wherein said first portion of said first laser light and said second portion of said first laser light propagate through said first MZM and interfere one with the other to produce a first output optical signal, the first output optical signal exhibiting a nonlinear relationship compared to the input voltage waveform provided by the voltage source; and
a first detector configured to detect said first output optical signal and produce a first output voltage waveform exhibiting a linear relationship compared to the first output optical signal; and
a second stage comprising:
a second laser light source for providing second laser light;
a second MZM comprising a third optical arm and a fourth optical arm, wherein said second MZM is configured to receive at least a first portion of said second laser light into said third optical arm and at least a second portion of said second laser light into said fourth optical arm;
said first detector being configured for applying said first output voltage waveform to at least one of said third optical arm or said fourth optical arm, wherein said first portion of said second laser light and said second portion of said second laser light propagate through said second MZM and interfere one with the other to produce a second output optical signal, the second output optical signal exhibiting a nonlinear relationship compared to the first output voltage waveform provided by the first detector; and
a second detector configured to detect said second output optical signal and produce a second output voltage waveform exhibiting a linear relationship compared to the second output optical signal.
6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein said second output voltage waveform, compared to said input voltage waveform, has an enhancement selected from the group consisting of
(i) a shorter rise time,
(ii) a shorter fall time,
(iii) an increased signal temporal resolution,
(iv) an increased small signal dynamic range,
(v) an increased vertical resolution for small signals,
(vi) an increased vertical resolution for large signals,
(vii) a reduced noise on small signals,
(viii) a reduced noise on large signals and
(ix) an increased bandwidth.
7. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein said first source of laser light and said second source of laser light are a single laser that provides both said first laser light and said second laser light.
8. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein said first MZM and said second MZM are biased at null.
9. An apparatus, comprising:
a waveform source for providing an input voltage waveform;
a source of laser light for providing laser light;
a series of Mach-Zehnder modulators (MZMs), wherein each MZM of said series comprises two optical arms;
the waveform source applying said input voltage waveform to one arm of said each MZM, wherein a first MZM of said series of said MZMs is configured to receive said laser light into its two optical arms and produce an output optical signal that has a nonlinear amplitude compared to an amplitude of said input voltage waveform which is directed into at least one of the two arms of a second MZM of said series of MZMs, wherein said each MZM of said plurality of MZMs is configured to receive the respective output optical signal produced by its immediately preceding MZM, wherein the last MZM of said series produces a final output optical signal; and
a detector configured to receive said final output optical signal to produce an output voltage waveform.
10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein said output voltage waveform, compared to said input voltage waveform, has an enhancement selected from the group consisting of
(i) a shorter rise time,
(ii) a shorter fall time,
(iii) an increased signal temporal resolution,
(iv) an increased small signal dynamic range,
(v) an increased vertical resolution for small signals,
(vi) an increased vertical resolution for large signals,
(vii) a reduced noise on small signals,
(viii) a reduced noise on large signals and
(ix) an increased bandwidth.
11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein each said MZM of said series of MZMs is biased at the null.
12. A method, comprising:
providing Mach-Zehnder modulators (MZMs) numbered MZM #1 to MZM #n, the MZMs exhibiting nonlinearity between an input electrical domain signal and an output optical domain signal;
applying a first voltage waveform to a first optical arm of said MZM #1;
directing laser light into the two arms of at least said MZM #1 to produce a first output optical signal; and
utilizing said first output optical signal and the nonlinearities of MZMs numbered MZM #2 to said MZM #n to produce a final output voltage waveform, wherein, compared to said input voltage, said output voltage waveform comprises at least one of
(i) a shorter rise time,
(ii) a shorter fall time,
(iii) an increased signal temporal resolution,
(iv) an increased small signal dynamic range,
(v) an increased vertical resolution for small signals,
(vi) an increased vertical resolution for large signals,
(vii) a reduced noise on small signals,
(viii) a reduced noise on large signals and
(ix) an increased bandwidth.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein said MZMs are configured in a cascaded configuration wherein said first voltage waveform is only applied to said first arm of said MZM #I and wherein first output optical signal is detected by a first detector to produce a first voltage waveform that is applied to an optical arm of said MZM #2.
14. The method of claim 12 , wherein said MZMs numbered MZM #2 to said MZM #n are configured in a series configuration with MZM #1, wherein said first voltage waveform is applied to an optical arm of all said MZMs.
15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising biasing each said MZM at null.
16. An electrooptical system comprising:
an array of Mach-Zehnder modulators (MZMs), said MZMs exhibiting nonlinearity between an input electrical domain signal and an output optical domain signal;
one or more photodetectors exhibiting linearity between an input optical domain signal and an output electrical domain signal;
connecting the array of MZMs in either a linear array and/or in a cascaded arrangement, wherein
(i) in a linear array of MZMs, the MZMs are optically connected in a linear arrangement with an optical domain output of a MZM being coupled to an optical domain input of an adjacent MZM in said linear arrangement and with an electrical domain signal being applied in common to an electrical domain input of each MSM in said linear array and a photodetector being coupled to an optical domain output of one MZM in said linear array of MZMs; and/or
(ii) in a cascaded arrangement of MZMs, the MZMs are connected with intervening photodetectors connected in series between adjacent MZMs in said cascaded arrangement of MZMs,
the nonlinearity of the MZMs in combination with the one or more photodetectors improving performance criteria of the electrooptical system compared to systems that are solely optical.
17. An apparatus, comprising:
an array of Mach-Zehnder modulators (MZMs) numbered MZM #1 to MZM #n;
a circuit for applying a first voltage waveform to a first optical arm of said MZM #1;
a laser source for producing laser light directed into the two arms of at least said MZM #1 to produce a first output optical signal; and
means utilizing said first output optical signal and nonlinearities of at least said MZMs numbered MZM #2 to MZM #n to produce a final output voltage waveform.
18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the array of Mach-Zehnder modulators (MZMs) numbered MZM #2 to MZM #n are configured in a cascaded configuration with MZM #1, wherein said first voltage waveform is only applied to said first arm of said MZM #1 and wherein said first output optical signal is detected by a first detector to produce a first voltage waveform that is applied to an optical arm of said MZM #2.
19. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the array of Mach-Zehnder modulators (MZMs) numbered MZM #2 to MZM #n are configured in a series configuration with MZM #1, wherein said first voltage waveform is applied to an optical arm of all said MZMs.
20. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein, compared to said input voltage, said output voltage waveform comprises at least one of (i) a shorter rise time, (ii) a shorter fall time, (it) an increased signal temporal resolution, (iv) an increased small signal dynamic range, (v) an increased vertical resolution for small signals, (vi) an increased vertical resolution for large signals, (vii) a reduced noise on small signals, (viii) a reduced noise on large signals and (ix) an increased bandwidth.