Invention Grant
- Patent Title: Analog-to-digital converter using a continuous-wave laser and a timing reference derived from a multifrequency optical signal
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Application No.: US15658081Application Date: 2017-07-24
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Publication No.: US09933688B1Publication Date: 2018-04-03
- Inventor: Bishara Shamee , Steven R. Wilkinson
- Applicant: Raytheon Company
- Applicant Address: US MA Waltham
- Assignee: Raytheon Company
- Current Assignee: Raytheon Company
- Current Assignee Address: US MA Waltham
- Agency: Schwegman Lundberg & Woessner, P.A.
- Main IPC: H03M1/00
- IPC: H03M1/00 ; G02F7/00

Abstract:
An analog-to-digital converter can produce a digital signal representative of an analog input electrical signal. A continuous-wave laser can lock to a multifrequency optical signal and produce a continuous-wave optical signal. An optical amplitude modulator can modulate the continuous-wave optical signal using the analog input electrical signal to produce a first modulated optical signal. An optical splitter can split the first modulated optical signal into a plurality of modulated optical signals. A plurality of detectors can convert the modulated optical signals into respective modulated electrical signals. A plurality of comparators and a decoder arranged in a flash converter topology can receive the modulated electrical signals and output the digital signal using a timing reference derived from the multifrequency optical signal. Using a relatively high-precision multifrequency optical signal, such as produced by a photonic oscillator, can produce a relatively high-precision device.
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