Optical Delay Lines for UWB Imager Size and Power Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ultra-wideband (UWB) RF/mm-wave/THz imaging systems face challenges such as large delay element size, high power consumption, and susceptibility to electromagnetic interference due to the use of electrical delay lines, which limits the scalability and practicality of large-scale implementations, especially in integrating high-resolution, low-power, and low-cost imaging systems on standard CMOS platforms.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of optical delay lines in UWB imagers, which reduces size and power consumption by several orders of magnitude compared to electrical delay lines, providing lower loss and smaller chip area, and enabling the use of nanophotonic waveguides and resonators for delay-line implementation, resulting in a more compact and efficient imaging system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If electrical delay lines are used in UWB imagers, then the system can achieve signal delay functionality, but the delay element size becomes large and power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces electrical delay lines with optical delay lines, substituting the electrical domain with the optical domain. This substitution dramatically reduces the physical size of delay elements while maintaining the signal delay functionality, directly resolving the contradiction between achieving reliable signal delay and minimizing delay element size.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fundamental operating parameter domain from electrical to optical frequencies. By operating at optical frequencies instead of electrical frequencies, the system achieves the same delay functionality with significantly reduced physical dimensions, as optical components can be miniaturized more effectively than their electrical counterparts.
2Reliability
If electrical delay lines are used in UWB imagers, then the system can achieve signal delay functionality, but power consumption increases due to electrical loss
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces electrical delay lines with optical delay lines, substituting the electrical domain with the optical domain. This substitution dramatically reduces the physical size of delay elements while maintaining the signal delay functionality, directly resolving the contradiction between achieving reliable signal delay and minimizing delay element size.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fundamental operating parameter domain from electrical to optical frequencies. By operating at optical frequencies instead of electrical frequencies, the system achieves the same delay functionality with significantly reduced physical dimensions, as optical components can be miniaturized more effectively than their electrical counterparts.
3Reliability
If electrical delay lines are used in UWB imagers, then the system can achieve signal delay functionality, but the system becomes susceptible to electromagnetic interference
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces electrical delay lines with optical delay lines, substituting the electrical domain with the optical domain. This substitution dramatically reduces the physical size of delay elements while maintaining the signal delay functionality, directly resolving the contradiction between achieving reliable signal delay and minimizing delay element size.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates an electromagnetic inert environment by using optical signals instead of electrical signals. Optical fibers and optical components are inherently immune to electromagnetic interference, effectively shielding the signal delay functionality from harmful electromagnetic factors without requiring additional shielding mechanisms.
4Measurement precision
If a large number of on-chip pixels are integrated in UWB imagers, then high resolution imaging is achieved, but the chip area becomes impractically large
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces electrical delay lines with optical delay lines, substituting the electrical domain with the optical domain. This substitution dramatically reduces the physical size of delay elements while maintaining the signal delay functionality, directly resolving the contradiction between achieving reliable signal delay and minimizing delay element size.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from two-dimensional planar integration of electrical components to three-dimensional optical waveguide structures. This dimensional transition allows for much higher density integration, enabling a large number of pixels to be packed into a compact chip area while maintaining high imaging resolution.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The use of optical delay lines in UWB imagers achieves a 20-fold reduction in size and power consumption, with a delay resolution of 9.8 ps corresponding to 5° spatial resolution, and allows for the scalability of UWB imagers with a large number of pixels, while being immune to electromagnetic interference.
Implementation Method 1
a modulator configured to convert radio-frequency signals to optical signal
Implementation Method 2
Optical delay lines also generally have significantly lower loss and occupy smaller chip area than electrical delay lines, and can usually be realized using nano-waveguide propagation delay
Implementation Method 3
A photodetector can convert the delayed optical signals to at least one electrical signal corresponding to at least one pixel of a radio frequency image
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are systems and methods of using of optical delay lines in RF imagers, e.g., Ultra-wideband (UWB) imagers. In an embodiment, a modulator can be configured to convert radio-frequency signals to optical signal. First and second optical delay lines delay respective first and second optical signals converted by the modulator, and a photodetector can convert the delayed optical signals to at least one electrical signal corresponding to at least one pixel of a radio frequency image. The disclosed systems and methods can also further form a radio-frequency image based on output from the photodetector. In still further embodiments, the photodetector can receive modulated optical signals from an array of optical delays. Also provided are related methods of using the disclosed systems and devices.