David Benito

New microstrip "Wiggly-Line" filters with spurious passband suppression

In this paper, we present a new parallel-coupled-line microstrip bandpass filter with suppressed spurious passband. Using a continuous perturbation of the width of the coupled lines following a sinusoidal law, the wave impedance is modulated so that the harmonic passband of the filter is rejected while the desired passband response is maintained virtually unaltered. This strip-width perturbation does not require the filter parameters to be recalculated and, this way, the classical design methodology for coupled-line microstrip filters can still be used. At the same time, the fabrication of the resulting filter layout does not involve more difficulties than those for typical coupled-line microstrip filters. To test this novel technique, 3rd-order Butterworth bandpass filters have been designed at 2.5 GHz, with a 10% fractional bandwidth and different values of the perturbation amplitude. It is shown that for a 47.5 % sinusoidal variation of the nominal strip width, a harmonic rejection of more than 40 dB is achieved in measurement while the passband at 2.5 GHz is almost unaltered.

Multiple-frequency-tuned photonic bandgap microstrip structures

Photonic bandgap (PBG) structures in microstrip technology have been recently proposed as efficient Bragg reflectors. The periodic patterns employed until now were formed by a distribution of nonconnected holes (cermet topology) etched in the ground plane or drilled in the dielectric substrate, giving rise to single-frequency-tuned band reflectors. In this letter, a novel pattern that follows a continuous profile (network topology) is proposed to simultaneously reject multiple frequency bands. It is formed by the addition of various sinusoidal functions tuned at the design frequencies. Measurements performed for two-and three-frequency-tuned PBG microstrip prototypes show that multiple deep and wide stopbands can be obtained using these novel devices.

Real-time spectrum analysis in microstrip technology

We report on a time-domain analog in microwave lines to the spatial Fraunhofer (far-field) diffraction in paraxial conditions. Microstrip lines are used to design filtering configurations acting as spectrum analyzers. They are based on linearly chirped distributed Bragg coupling between the fundamental microstrip mode and the same but counterpropagating mode. Linearly chirped continuous impedance modulation in a microstrip line with varying upper plane strip-width is shown to yield a mode-coupling location and group delay linearly distributed in frequency. Under the condition of a temporal equivalent to the spatial Fraunhofer inequality, the energy spectral density of the input signal is directly recoverable from the average output (reflected) power. It is only necessary to take into account a linear axis-change, given by the dispersion coefficient (group-delay slope) of the structure, from time to Fourier frequency. Both pulsed and nonpulsed RF signals are studied. Sequential time-gated segments of the input have to be processed in the nonpulsed case. The maximum frequency resolution achievable in this situation is discussed. The devices developed here could have important potential applications in the field of temporal signal processing, such as filtering using time-division techniques.

Characterization of stimulated Brillouin scattering spectra by use of optical single-sideband modulation

We introduce an enhanced method for the characterization of stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) spectra in single-mode fiber that is based on optical single-sideband modulation. This novel technique is shown to provide high-resolution characterization of SBS even under saturation operation in a simple and stable setup in which the spectrum is translated from the optical to the electrical domain, sweeping the frequency of an electrical signal generator. Experimental results are used to demonstrate the performance of the system in measuring the detailed structure of acoustic modes in three types of single-mode fiber.

Chirped delay lines in microstrip technology

In this paper, we report on a design method for chirped delay lines (CDLs) in microstrip technology. They consist in a continuously varying strip width, so that the coupling location between the quasi-TEM microstrip mode and the same but counter-propagating mode is linearly distributed in frequency. High delay/spl times/bandwidth products, over frequency ranges of several gigahertzs, can be obtained following this procedure. Experimental data confirm the design method. Real-time Fourier analysis of wideband pulses can be performed using these CDLs.

Optical carrier-suppression technique with a Brillouin-erbium fiber laser.

We demonstrate a new concept in optical carrier control that uses a simple arrangement based on a hybrid Brillouin-erbium fiber laser. The system offers precise tunable control of the optical carrier amplitude independently of the characteristics of the transmitter or the optical modulation format. As much as 55 dB of carrier attenuation is demonstrated, which to our knowledge is the highest reported attenuation for a carrier-suppression system.

Optical carrier Brillouin processing of microwave photonic signals

We introduce a novel concept in Brillouin signal processing based on modification of the optical carriers magnitude and phase by stimulated Brillouin scattering-induced depletion. The technique offers wideband processing and low noise and requires only low optical power. Application to the enhancement of a 25-km high-frequency analog link is experimentally demonstrated and yields a 6.5-GHz bandwidth extension and a 13-dB reduction in the link insertion loss without intermodulation distortion.

Design and performance of the bidirectional optical single-sideband modulator

We present a detailed study of the design and performance of the bidirectional optical single-sideband modulator (BOSSM). This is a new scheme to achieve optical single-sideband modulation (OSSB) that uses a standard single-electrode Mach-Zehnder modulator (MZ-EOM) and passive fiber-optic components. The design is based on a novel technique to operate electrooptic modulators in which the radio frequency (RF) electrode is bidirectionally driven. The fundamentals of this bidirectional operation are analyzed thoroughly and it is found that it requires the use of a wide-bandwidth MZ-EOM with an electrode design that provides good velocity match between the optical and microwave modes. Deriving the expressions for the optical field and power at the output of the BOSSM, the OSSB operation is shown to be independent of the MZ-EOM bias. Therefore, the optical modulation depth at the output of the device can be enhanced using minimum transmission biasing to provide suppression of the optical carrier. Moreover, it is found that the second-order distortion is unaffected by the MZ-EOM bias; hence the technique can be applied to multi-octave bandwidth systems. Finally, the performance of the BOSSM is evaluated using a prototype based on a commercial 10 Gb/s MZ-EOM. The experimental characterization of the electrooptical parameters of this device reveals that the RF electrode design is not optimized for bidirectional operation. Therefore, the performance of the prototype is limited by the particular MZ-EOM deployed. However, sideband suppression over 10 dB is measured for most frequencies up to millimeter-waves, with peaks in the 20 dB to 30 dB range for narrow bands. This performance has enabled the demonstration of a 22-km fiber link transmitting a 29-GHz subcarrier conveying binary phase-shift keying modulated data at 622 Mb/s. The BOSSM reduces the dispersion-induced power penalty in the link to less than 1.5 dB. Furthermore, the bit error rate of the link is increased by five orders of magnitude using the carrier suppression technique.

Single-sideband suppressed-carrier modulation using a single-electrode electrooptic modulator

This letter demonstrates a novel optical single-sideband suppressed-carrier modulator design using a standard single-electrode Mach-Zehnder electrooptic modulator bidirectionally. It is proven that its single-sideband operation is insensitive to bias and optical modulation depth. Up to 25 dB of sideband suppression and 14 dB of optical carrier attenuation are obtained in experiments at microwave modulation frequencies. In addition, suppression of dispersion-induced power fading is demonstrated in a link with a total dispersion of 2691 ps/nm.

A Series Solution for the Single-Mode Synthesis Problem Based on the Coupled-Mode Theory

In this paper, we present an exact analytical solution for the inverse scattering problem formulated by using the coupled-mode theory in the microwave range, assuming single-mode operation. The solution is a series that gives the required coupling coefficient for the microwave device as a function of the target frequency response. A clear physical meaning for the terms of the series is discussed, and several useful properties for the synthesis are given, thus providing a deep understanding of the synthesis mechanics. The method allows for the design of microwave devices with arbitrary frequency response only constrained by principles of causality, passivity, and stability. The resulting device is, in general, a nonuniform waveguide that features a continuously varying profile, e.g., a nonuniform microstrip line with continuously varying strip width. As an example of the potential of the synthesis method, a matched filter for ultra-wideband applications is finally designed in microstrip technology and successfully tested.