SBIR/STTR Award attributes
EMI resilient RF Photonic Links are critical for connecting remote antennas in the next generation Navy electronics warfare (EW) architecture. Current commercially available RF/photonic link technologies have deficiencies in dynamic range, noise figure, and SWaP performance. For a solution, this STTR project aims to develop a novel wide dynamic range, low noise RF photonic link, where the key component is a compact, EMI resilient transmitter (TX) module employing photonic integrated low-Vpi, high-speed optical modulators. The proposed link development leverages our extensive hand-on experience in high-performance RF photonics links and related optical modulator, photodetector, material growth, and photonic integrated circuit technologies. The Phase I efforts will validate the feasibility of the proposed link though design, simulations and preliminary proof-of-concept measurements. In Phase II, a prototype of the compact, wide dynamic range, low noise RF Photonic link system be fully developed for highly EMI-immune applications. Experimental validations for its gain, noise figure, dynamic range, and SWaP will also be performed.
