The application provides an optical network apparatus and an optical module. The optical network apparatus is configured to: convert, by a processing chip, the received N electrical signals from a board interface chip into a first electrical signal and a second electrical signal; and send the above two electrical signals to a first optical transmission component and a second optical transmission component, respectively; convert, by the first optical transmission component, the first electrical signal into a first optical signal; and convert, by the second optical transmission component, the second electrical signal into a second optical signal. The N to-be-sent electrical signals are combined, and only two optical transmission components are connected to the processing chip. Therefore, the processing chip does not need to be connected to four optical transmission components, fewer optical transmission components are required, and costs are reduced.

A code acquisition module for a direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) receiver includes: a Sparse Discrete Fourier transform (SDFT) module configured to perform an SDFT on a finite number of non-uniformly distributed frequencies comprising a preamble of a received DSSS frame to calculate Fourier coefficients for the finite number of non-uniformly distributed frequencies; a multiplier configured to multiply the Fourier coefficients for the finite number of non-uniformly distributed frequencies of the received DSSS frame by complex conjugate Fourier coefficients for the finite number of non-uniformly distributed frequencies to generate a cross-correlation of the received DSSS frame and the complex conjugate Fourier coefficients; and a filter module configured to input the cross-correlation and output a delay estimation for the received DSSS frame.

An apparatus includes a first modulator configured to modulate a radio frequency (RF) input signal onto a first optical signal and a second modulator configured to modulate a local oscillator (LO) signal onto a second optical signal. The apparatus also includes a photonic integrated circuit having an optical demodulator configured to generate, using the modulated optical signals, I and Q signals representing a demodulated version of the RF input signal. The optical demodulator may include an optical filter bank having multiple optical filters, where different optical filters are configured to pass different frequencies or frequency ranges. The optical filters may include at least one narrowband optical filter and/or one or more tunable optical filters.

The narrowband optical filter(s) may be configured to isolate global navigation satellite system-related signals. The tunable optical filter(s) may be configured to isolate signals over a frequency range of about 900 MHz to about 12 GHz.

A microwave photonic filter is provided. The filter includes an optical source, an electro-optic modulator, a single mode optical fiber, a few-mode optical fiber, and a photodiode. The electro-optic modulator is configured to receive an optical carrier from the optical source and an input electrical signal. The electro-optic modulator modulates the optical carrier based on the input electrical signal. The single mode optical fiber is configured to receive the modulated optical carrier from the electro-optic modulator. The few-mode optical fiber is configured to receive the modulated optical carrier from the single mode optical fiber. The filter includes one of a plurality of methods for causing higher order mode excitation in the few-mode fiber. The photodiode is configured to receive an output from the few-mode optical fiber.

The subject matter described herein relates to various antenna element configurations, antenna array configurations, their operations including various systems and methods to generate modulated data for transmission by an RF antenna array via an optical processing engine. The subject matter includes optical processing engine structure and methods (e.g., modulating in the optical domain, MIMO and spatial modulation via RF beam formation, coherent transmission of RF signal components, coherent operation of spatially separate RF antenna arrays) that may be implemented with the various RF antenna array structures. In some examples, the system combines the virtues of digital, analog and optical processing to arrive at a solution for scalable, non-blocking, simultaneous transmission to multiple UE-s. Much of the system architecture is independent of the RF carrier frequency, and different frequency bands can be accessed easily and rapidly by tuning the optical source (TOPS). In some examples, multiple communication channels may be transmitted simultaneously to different locations. The transmitter may be formed by an array of optically fed antennas.

A Rydberg atom mixer determines a phase of modulated carrier radiation and includes: a reference radiofrequency source for reference radiofrequency radiation; a modulated carrier source for modulated carrier radiation; a vapor cell to contain gas atoms and that receives reference radiofrequency radiation and modulated carrier radiation, such that the gas atoms produce modulated light modulated; and a transmission detector that receives the modulated light from the vapor cell and produces a transmission signal from the transmission detector for determination of a phase of the modulated carrier radiation, wherein the Rydberg atom mixer mixes the reference radiofrequency radiation and the modulated carrier radiation by the gas atoms in a Rydberg electronic state to produce the intermediate frequency IF that corresponds directly to the phase of the modulated carrier radiation.

A technology is described for a Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC) radio frequency (RF) in-phase quadrature phase (I/Q) correlator. The PIC RF Correlator can comprise two optical waveguides to receive first and second optical signals that are modulated by first and second RF signals, respectively. Two 1 to M optical splitters can split the first and second RF modulated optical signals. Optical delay lines can delay the M split first RF modulated optical signals. M optical balanced couplers can receive and combine the M first delayed RF modulated optical signals with the M split second RF modulated optical signals. Balanced photodetectors can output a differential integration on the first and second combined RF modulated optical signals for in-phase and quadrature phase signals. A processor can add the outputs of the M optical balanced photodetectors to form a frequency domain correlated signal of the first and second RF signals with real and imaginary parts.

A technology is described for a Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC) radio frequency (RF) correlator. The PIC RF Correlator can comprise two optical waveguides to receive first and second optical signals that are modulated by first and second RF signals, respectively. Two 1 to M optical splitters can split the first and second RF modulated optical signals. Optical delay lines can delay the M split first RF modulated optical signals. M optical balanced couplers can receive and combine the M first delayed RF modulated optical signals with the M split second RF modulated optical signals. Balanced photodetectors can output a differential integration on the first and second combined RF modulated optical signals. A processor can add the outputs of the M optical balanced photodetectors to form a frequency domain correlated signal of the first and second RF signals.

A radar system having at least one radar transmission unit, at least one radar reception unit, a central unit, and a glass fiber for connecting these units, wherein the central unit has a central optical transmission unit to provide an optical radar driver signal, and wherein the at least one radar transmission unit has an optical reception unit and a radar transmitter, wherein the optical reception unit receives the optical radar driver signal and converts the optical radar driver signal into an electrical radar driver signal and provides the electrical radar driver signal for driving the radar transmitter, wherein the at least one radar reception unit includes a radar receiver, a mixer and an optical modulation unit. Also disclosed is an associated method.

A photonic frequency converter includes an electro-optical intensity modulator having an optical input, one optical output and at least one RF input for receiving two modulation radiofrequency signals at different frequencies; a set of optical sources that are configured to generate optical signals at at least two different wavelengths, the signals being modulated by respective local-oscillator signals at least two of which have different frequencies; and an optical multiplexer arranged to multiplex the optical signals and to inject them into the optical input of the modulator. A method for converting frequency by means of such a converter is also provided.