Abstract

A concept for implementing an RF spectrum analyzer using integrated optics has been recently proposed. According to this scheme, a surface acoustic wave (SAW) fed by an RF signal of undetermined spectral composition interacts with an optical beam propagating in a surface waveguide. The light beam generated in this interaction is deflected from the original beam path by an amount proportional to the frequency of the acoustic beam. This concept has been utilized in bulk optical spectrum analyzers, but only recent developments in single mode planar waveguides, diffraction limited geodesic lenses, wide band surface acoustic wave transducers, single mode lasers, laser to waveguide coupling and electronically scanned detector arrays, made the integrated optics spectrum analyzer (IOSA) a viable approach. The system promises not only to be small, rugged, and reliable, but will also provide real time spectral decompositions with a finesse of several MHz, and a bandwidth greater than 400 MHz.

© 1980 Optical Society of America