High Dynamic Range Broadband Fiber Optic Links

The development of large dynamic range, linear response optical transmitters would allow significantly lower cost lasers to be used in many microwave analog data links for video, sensor, and optoelectronic signal/image processing in phased array applications. Our approach will decrease the distortions caused by second and third order harmonics of a signal and by cross modulation with other signals in the laser transmitter. Multi-function phased array antennas require low loss, high dynamic range RF/microwave transport from the array elements to image processing receiver electronics located many motors from the antenna. This type of application finds an excellent fit with fiber optic links when the laser transmitter and optical processing receiver provide low noise, wide- bandwidth high dynamic operation and the connecting fiber provides low thermal coefficient of delay. TACAN proposes a novel broadband high power, low chirp laser link with high dynamic range to support command, control, communications, and intelligence (C31) systems for transporting up to 5 GHz signal spectra with high SNR and extremely low distortion.