Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC

Tektronix, Inc.

Brandon Walter Buckley

Ryan Douglas Muir

Jason Thomas Chou

Peter Thomas Setsuda DeVore

David Simon Perlmutter

Apurva Shantharaj Gowda

John Edward Heebner

Daniel E Mittelberger

Vincent J Hernandez

Daniel G Knierim

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.

Temporal resolution and fidelity enhancement of arbitrary waveforms

Devices, systems and methods for encoding information using optical components are described. An example photonic filtered sampler includes a spectral shaper configured to receive an optical pulse train, a dispersive element positioned to receive an output of the spectral shaper and to expand spectral contents thereof in time, and a modulator configured to receive an output of the dispersive element and a radio frequency (RF) signal, and to produce a modulated output optical signal in accordance with the RF signal. In this configuration, one or more characteristics of the modulated output optical signal is determined based on a spectral shape provided by the spectral shaper and dispersive properties of the dispersive element.

Optical encoder devices and systems

Apparatuses comprising cascaded or series configurations of Mach-Zehnder electrooptic modulators, where the nonlinearities of the cascaded and series configurations of Mach-Zehnder electrooptic modulators increase signal bandwidth and boost signal fidelity in electronic digital to analog converters. The Mach-Zehnder electrooptic modulators are combined with photodiode detectors that are used to convert signals from the optical domain to the electrical domain.

Methods and devices for digitizing an analog repetitive signal using waveform averaging are described. An example method includes generating a time-varying dither signal, receiving the analog repetitive signal comprising multiple instances of a waveform, wherein each waveform has a waveform duration, wherein an average of the time-varying dither signal over multiple waveform durations is substantially zero, and wherein the time-varying dither signal varies over each waveform duration, generating a timing alignment, combining each waveform with the corresponding portion of the time-varying dither signal over each waveform duration to produce an analog output signal, converting the analog output signal to a digital output signal, and producing, based on the timing alignment, a digital averaged signal based on averaging the multiple instances of the waveform in the analog output signal, wherein the timing alignment is used to align the multiple instances of the waveform in the analog output signal.

Continuous dithered waveform averaging for high-fidelity digitization of repetitive signals

Methods and devices for digitizing an analog repetitive signal using waveform averaging are described. An example method includes generating a discrete set of analog dither offset voltages, wherein at least two of the discrete set of analog dither offset voltages are different from each other, receiving the analog repetitive signal comprising multiple instances of a waveform, wherein the waveform has a waveform duration, generate a timing alignment to align each waveform of the analog repetitive signal and the corresponding analog dither offset voltage over the waveform duration, combining, based on the timing alignment, each waveform and the corresponding analog dither offset voltage over the waveform duration to produce an analog output signal, converting the analog output signal to a digital output signal, and producing, based on the timing alignment, a digital averaged signal based on averaging the multiple instances of the waveform in the analog output signal.

Discrete offset dithered waveform averaging for high-fidelity digitization of repetitive signals

Devices, systems and methods for encoding information using optical components are described. Information associated with a first optical signal (e.g., an optical pump) is encoded onto the phase of a second optical signal (e.g., an optical probe) using cross phase modulation (XPM) in a non-linear optical medium. The optical signals are multiplexed together into the nonlinear optical medium. The probe experiences a modified index of refraction as it propagates through the medium and thus accumulates a phase change proportional to the intensity of the pump. The disclosed devices can be incorporated into larger components and systems for various applications such as scientific diagnostics, radar, remote sensing, wireless communications, and quantum computing that can benefit from encoding and generation of low noise, high resolution signals. Examples of the encoded information includes intrinsic noise from the optical source, or others signals of interest, such as electrical, optical, X-ray, or high-energy particle signals.

Growing community of inventors

Walnut Creek, CA, United States of America

Brandon Walter Buckley