ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a general discussion of optical pulse shaping basics and the fundamental factors limiting the waveform classes and frequency content accessible using such systems. It discusses generation of user-defined ultra-broadband microwave waveforms, including aspects of the waveform design methodology, recent advances in integrated optical pulse shaping architectures suitable for electrical waveform generation. The chapter describes several application areas where photonic techniques for synthesis of arbitrary electromagnetic waveforms have had an impact. It discusses first-of-its-kind work in characterization and compensation of the dispersive phase response of broadband antennas as well as characterization of the nonlinearity of high-speed commercial photodiodes. Photonics-based arbitrary waveform generators could find application in a number of systems ranging from impulse radar, ultrawide band communications, to high-fidelity test and measurement. Advances in low-halfwave voltage optical modulators will help to increase the bandwidth of optical comb sources and, hence, advance the state-of-the-art in high time-bandwidth product photonically enabled electrical waveform generation.
