The fabrication and performance of the first operating integrated optical RF spectrum analyzer are described. The device is a three-element hybrid structure consisting of a laser, the I0 substrate, and a photodiode array. It operates over a frequency bandwidth of 400 MHz, centered at 600 MHz, with a complete frame time of 2 psec. Although designed for use with a butt-coupled GaAlAs laser source, it has been tested using an end-fire-coupled HeNe laser. At the Here laser wavelength it divides the 400 MHz frequency band-width among 75 detector elements such that each element represents 5.3 MHz. An RF, input signal dynamic range of at least 18 to 22 dB has been demonstrated, as has the ability to detect two simultaneous pulses of 0.3 µsec duration and 20 MHz frequency separa-tion.

Date Published: 25 February 1981
PDF: 7 pages
Proc. SPIE 0239, Guided Wave Optical and Surface Acoustic Wave Devices: Systems and Applications, (25 February 1981); doi: 10.1117/12.959197

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 0239:
Guided Wave Optical and Surface Acoustic Wave Devices: Systems and Applications
Chen S. Tsai, Editor(s)