Leonardo UK Limited

Elonardo UK Ltd

Taimur Mirza

Ian Flint

Shyqyri Haxha

Shyqyri Hahxa

A common method of down converting a received RF signal mixes the received RF signal with a LO signal to create a beat signal. Exemplary embodiments can address multiple simultaneously received RF signals which beat within receiver electronics at frequencies similar to that of the down converted signals. An RF mixer is disclosed using a photonic circuit arranged to impose the RF signal and the LO signal onto separate optical beams. An arrangement provides a beam carrying the RF signal to a first optical input of a balanced photodiode receiver and another beam carrying the RF and LO signals to a second optical input of the balanced photodiode receiver. Any beat products formed between different RF signals will be cancelled out at the electrical output of the balanced photodiode receiver.

Radio frequency mixer implemented with a photonic circuit

A Mach Zehnder modulator operates by phase modulating split optical beams with a modulating signal to create dissimilarities in the optical characteristics between the split beams. When the beams are recombined, the dissimilarities gives rise to intensity modulations that are indicative of the modulating signal. One or both beams are modulated with an RF trimming signal. The trimming signal is applied asymmetrically across the two beams thereby reducing the intensity of the optical carrier frequency in one of the beams more than in the other. By selecting the size of the trimming signal the differences in the optical amplitude of the carrier frequency in the two beams can be nulled.

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Basildon, United Kingdom

Taimur Mirza