Photonics

The NRAO CDL photonics technology development program began during the ALMA development phase (see ALMA Support-Photonic Reference).  Microwave photonics technologies provided wide tuning bandwidths, which together with flexible fiber optic distribution, allowed for remotely located, low-phase-noise photonic local oscillators sourced needed for ALMA.

CDL Photonics Capabilities

  • Low-noise laser and fiber amplifier design, test, and measurement
  • Fiber optic interferometry
  • Photonics packaging for low phase drift
  • Fiber optics splicing
  • Optoelectronic module design, fabrication, and test

CDL Photonics Development Areas

  • Local oscillator generation and distribution
  • Millimeter-wave and THz source development
  • Ultra-Wideband instrumentation
    • photonic source with wideband feed/photomixer
      • Novel microwave photonics
        • optical combs, optoelectronic oscillators, novel fiber amplifiers

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