US 12,300,902 B2
Widely scalable, modular phase control of optical channels
Amjed Hallak, Elkton, MD (US); and Matthew Gallion, Middletown, DE (US)
Assigned to Phase Sensitive Innovations, Inc., Newark, DE (US)
Filed by Phase Sensitive Innovations, Inc., Newark, DE (US)
Filed on Mar. 26, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/616,753.
Application 18/616,753 is a continuation of application No. 17/890,017, filed on Aug. 17, 2022, granted, now 11,942,695.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/234,151, filed on Aug. 17, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2024/0235019 A1, Jul. 11, 2024
Int. Cl. H01Q 3/26 (2006.01); H04B 10/61 (2013.01)
CPC H01Q 3/2676 (2013.01) [H04B 10/6165 (2013.01); H04B 2210/006 (2013.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus for controlling phase of a plurality of optical signals, the apparatus comprising:
a plurality of phase modulators, each configured to be connected to receive an optical carrier signal and based on the optical carrier signal, to transmit an output signal, thereby resulting in a plurality of respective phase modulator output signals as a plurality of optical input signals;
a synchronization controller configured to generate and output a periodic voltage function and a periodic pulse signal, the periodic pulse signal temporally synchronized to the periodic voltage function;
a reference phase modulator configured to be connected to receive the periodic voltage function from the synchronization controller and to receive a reference signal having the same phase and frequency as the optical carrier signal, and configured to modulate the optical reference signal according to the periodic voltage function to generate a modulated reference signal, and to output the modulated reference signal;
an optical processor connected to receive the modulated reference signal and the plurality of optical input signals and configured to, for each particular optical input signal of the plurality of optical input signals, generate an interference signal based on the particular optical input signal and the modulated reference signal, thereby generating a respective interference signal for each respective optical input signal of the plurality of optical input signals; and
a plurality of digital processors, connected to simultaneously receive the periodic pulse signal output by the synchronization controller and the interference signals, each digital processor connected to a respective group of phase modulators and configured to output an adjustment signal to a respective phase modulator of the respective group of phase modulators, wherein the adjustment signals for each group of phase modulators are based on respective interference signals generated by the optical processor and their temporal relation to the periodic pulse signal, and each adjustment signal causes a respective phase modulator to control the phase of its respective phase modulator output signal.