Optical digital-to-analog converter and method of optically converting digital data to analog form
US7403711B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 22, 2005 |
| Grant date | Jul 22, 2008 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 23, 2027 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02F2201/05
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An optical digital-to-analog (D/A) converter and a method of optically converting digital data into analog form. In one embodiment, the optical D/A converter includes: (1) a splitter configured to receive and split an input coherent optical carrier into a plurality of mutually coherent optical carriers, (2) a switching stage coupled to the splitter and including a corresponding plurality of selector switches configured to pass or interrupt selected ones of the plurality of coherent optical carriers responsive to pattern bits, (3) an amplitude and phase offset stage coupled to the switching stage and including a corresponding plurality of amplitude and phase offset units configured to offset amplitudes or phases of passed ones of the plurality of mutually coherent optical carriers responsive to offset signals and (4) a combiner coupled to the amplitude and phase offset stage and configured to recombine the mutually coherent optical carriers to yield an optical output signal.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.