A method of amplifying a phase shift, comprises: receiving an input signal in response to an output signal; generating a reference signal; varying a modulation of at least one of the signals such that a ratio between modulation amplitudes of the input and reference signals is at least 0.9 and at most 1.1, and a phase difference between the reference and the input signals is from about 0.9 pi to about 1.1 pi; forming an output signal which comprises a sum of the reference and input signals, following the variation; and filtering the output signal by a bandpass filter to form a filtered output signal, wherein a bandwidth of the bandpass filter is selected such that XG<0.1, wherein X is a noise fluctuation average of the filtered output signal, and G is an expected amplification factor of a phase shift between the input and the reference signals.

A method of amplifying a phase shift, comprises: receiving an input signal in response to an output signal; generating a reference signal; varying a modulation of at least one of the signals such that a ratio between modulation amplitudes of the input and reference signals is at least 0.9 and at most 1.1, and a phase difference between the reference and the input signals is from about 0.9 pi to about 1.1 pi; forming an output signal which comprises a sum of the reference and input signals, following the variation; and filtering the output signal by a bandpass filter to form a filtered output signal, wherein a bandwidth of the bandpass filter is selected such that XG<0.1, wherein X is a noise fluctuation average of the filtered output signal, and G is an expected amplification factor of a phase shift between the input and the reference signals.

An improved quadrature modulator/demodulator (IQMD) may use two-phase quadrature local oscillator (LO) signal generation for generating 0 and 90 LO signals, and an anti-phase combiner/divider (at 0 and 180) on the RF (radio frequency) port. The IQMD may include mixers (which may be double-balanced passive mixers) that function as downconverters when a signal is incident at their radio frequency (RF) ports, and function as upconverters when signals are incident on their intermediate frequency (IF) ports. Accordingly, the IQMD may function as an I/Q modulator by connecting digital-to-analog converters (DAC) to the differential I and Q ports, and/or it may also function as an I/Q demodulator by connecting analog-to-digital converters (ADC) to the differential I and Q ports.

An improved quadrature modulator/demodulator (IQMD) may use two-phase quadrature local oscillator (LO) signal generation for generating 0 and 90 LO signals, and an anti-phase combiner/divider (at 0 and 180) on the RF (radio frequency) port. The IQMD may include mixers (which may be double-balanced passive mixers) that function as downconverters when a signal is incident at their radio frequency (RF) ports, and function as upconverters when signals are incident on their intermediate frequency (IF) ports. Accordingly, the IQMD may function as an I/Q modulator by connecting digital-to-analog converters (DAC) to the differential I and Q ports, and/or it may also function as an I/Q demodulator by connecting analog-to-digital converters (ADC) to the differential I and Q ports.

A transmission system includes a first transponder including a first I/Q modulator, and a second transponder including a second I/Q modulator, and configured to communicate with the first transponder using a frequency modulation scheme, wherein the first transponder is configured to set a first phase rotation mode in a first state for first light signal output from the first I/Q modulator, and transmit, to the second transponder, a first command to specify a second phase rotation mode for second light signal output from the second I/Q modulator, and the second transponder is configured to set, in response to the first command, the second phase rotation mode in a state specified by the first command.

A transmission system includes a first transponder including a first I/Q modulator, and a second transponder including a second I/Q modulator, and configured to communicate with the first transponder using a frequency modulation scheme, wherein the first transponder is configured to set a first phase rotation mode in a first state for first light signal output from the first I/Q modulator, and transmit, to the second transponder, a first command to specify a second phase rotation mode for second light signal output from the second I/Q modulator, and the second transponder is configured to set, in response to the first command, the second phase rotation mode in a state specified by the first command.

Wide band quadrature signal generation includes a frequency synthesizer generating a LO or 2LO signal, a polyphase filter coupled to receive the LO signal and generate first in-phase and quadrature LO signals, a 2:1 frequency divider coupled to receive the 2LO signal and generate second in-phase and quadrature LO signals, and a LO signal selector for selecting either the first or second in-phase LO signals as an output in-phase LO signal and either the first or second quadrature LO signals as an output quadrature LO signal based on an output frequency. In some embodiments, when the output frequency is above a threshold, the first in-phase and quadrature LO signals are selected as the output in-phase and quadrature LO signals and when the output frequency is at or below the threshold, the second in-phase and quadrature LO signals are selected as the output in-phase and quadrature LO signals.

Wide band quadrature signal generation includes a frequency synthesizer generating a LO or 2LO signal, a polyphase filter coupled to receive the LO signal and generate first in-phase and quadrature LO signals, a 2:1 frequency divider coupled to receive the 2LO signal and generate second in-phase and quadrature LO signals, and a LO signal selector for selecting either the first or second in-phase LO signals as an output in-phase LO signal and either the first or second quadrature LO signals as an output quadrature LO signal based on an output frequency. In some embodiments, when the output frequency is above a threshold, the first in-phase and quadrature LO signals are selected as the output in-phase and quadrature LO signals and when the output frequency is at or below the threshold, the second in-phase and quadrature LO signals are selected as the output in-phase and quadrature LO signals.

Circuit for wireless communication are provided, the circuits comprising: a first quadrature hybrid having a first in port, a first iso port, a first cpl port, and a first thru port; a first mixer having a first input coupled to the first cpl port and having an output; a second mixer have a first input coupled to the first cpl port and having an output; a third mixer having a first input coupled to the first thru port and having an output; a fourth mixer having a first input coupled to the first thru port and having an output; and a first complex combiner having inputs coupled to the output of the first mixer, the output of the second mixer, the output of the third mixer, and the output of the fourth mixer that provides first I and Q outputs based the output of the first mixer and the output of the second mixer.

Circuit for wireless communication are provided, the circuits comprising: a first quadrature hybrid having a first in port, a first iso port, a first cpl port, and a first thru port; a first mixer having a first input coupled to the first cpl port and having an output; a second mixer have a first input coupled to the first cpl port and having an output; a third mixer having a first input coupled to the first thru port and having an output; a fourth mixer having a first input coupled to the first thru port and having an output; and a first complex combiner having inputs coupled to the output of the first mixer, the output of the second mixer, the output of the third mixer, and the output of the fourth mixer that provides first I and Q outputs based the output of the first mixer and the output of the second mixer.