MicroPhotonic reconfigurable RF signal processor

In this paper, we discuss the use of MicroPhotonic processors to control the optical power distribution in photonic signal processing structures, achieving adaptive photonic RF filtering with arbitrary transfer functions. A new MicroPhotonics-based photonic signal processing architecture is presented, in which fibre collimator arrays, Opto-VLSl processors, and a WDM combiner are integrated within an optical substrate to control the gains and weights of numerous active fibre Bragg grating cavities of different lengths. MicroPhotonic technology provides a cost-efficient and reliable means for controlling the gains and the input power of the Bragg cavities. Simulation results show that a reconfigured 64-cavity photonic filter structure can generate arbitrary transfer characteristics at RF frequencies.