Performance of a time- and wavelength-interleaved photonic sampler for analog-digital conversion

Abstract

We experimentally demonstrate the sampling of microwave signals using a novel time- and wavelength-interleaved pulse train derived from a mode-locked fiber laser. Experimental results are presented indicating a modulator limited bandwidth of 18 GHz and a laser relative intensity noise limited effective number of bits of /spl sim/7 when tested for use in a hybrid photonic analog-digital converter architecture.