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A Photonics-Based Superheterodyne RF Reception Approach

Advances in Astronautics Science and Technology volume 4, pages 121–131 (2021)Cite this article

Abstract

A novel photonics-based RF reception approach is proposed as a competitive solution to meet the current challenges of photonics-based approaches and to realize high performances at the same time. The proposed approach adopts the superheterodyne configuration by a combination manner of electronic techniques and photonic techniques, including the ultra-wideband generation of optical LO, the two-stage photonic superheterodyne frequency conversion and the real-time IF compensation. An engineering prototype has been developed and its performance has been evaluated in the laboratory environment. The experiment results preliminarily verify the feasibility of the proposed approach and its engineering potential. The typical performances are as follows: 0.1 GHz ~ 45 GHz operation spectrum range (> 40 GHz), 900 MHz instantaneous bandwidth, 101 dB·Hz2/3 SFDR and 130 dB·Hz LDR, image rejections of ~ 80 dB for 1st frequency conversion and > 90 dB for 2nd frequency conversion.

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Acknowledgements

This work was partially supported by Independent Innovation Fund of Qian Xuesen Laboratory of Space Technology, and Independent research and development projects of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Qian Xuesen Laboratory of Space Technology, China Academy of Space Technology, Beijing, 100094, China

    Guangyu Gao, Qijun Liang, Ziyu Liu, Huanfa Peng, Qiang Zhao & Naijin Liu

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  1. Guangyu Gao
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  2. Qijun Liang
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  3. Ziyu Liu
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  4. Huanfa Peng
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  5. Qiang Zhao
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  6. Naijin Liu
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Correspondence to Naijin Liu.

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Gao, G., Liang, Q., Liu, Z. et al. A Photonics-Based Superheterodyne RF Reception Approach. Adv. Astronaut. Sci. Technol. 4, 121–131 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42423-021-00089-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42423-021-00089-y

Keywords

  • Superheterodyne
  • Optical LO
  • IF compensation
  • RF reception
  • Image rejection