A novel NLFM waveform generator using tunable integrated optical ring resonators: simulation and proof of concept experiment
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abstract
The NLFM waveform resulting from a tunable integrated optical ring resonator is simulated and compared with the well known tan-FM waveform. The metrics of interest are the first sidelobe levels and FWHM times of the autocorrelation, as these directly relate to the long-range performance and fine range resolution of a LADAR system, and should ideally be as small as possible. Through simulation, the sidelobe level of the autocorrelation of an NLFM waveform generated by a series of tunable integrated optical ring resonators is shown to be lower than the autocorrelation sidelobe level of an equivalent optimized tan-FM waveform with an equal FWHM time. A proof of concept experiment employing thermally tunable Silicon Nitride integrated optical ring resonator is shown to generate NLFM chirped waveforms with frequency chirps of 28 kHz. 2010 SPIE.