Patent ID: 11923907
Assignee: LAWRENCE LIVERMORE NATIONAL SECURITY, LLC
Field: Optics (Instruments)
Classification: CPC H  G | IPC G  H

Claim 0:
1. An optical encoder, comprising:
a polarization rotator configured to receive a train of optical pulses and to impart a polarization rotation to the train of optical pulses;
an electro-optic (EO) modulator coupled to an output of the polarization rotator, the EO modulator configured to receive a radio frequency (RF) signal and to produce a phase modulated signal in accordance with the RF signal;
a polarizing beam splitter coupled to the output of the EO modulator; and
an optical hybrid configured to receive two optical signals from the polarizing beam splitter and to produce, based on the two optical signals, four optical outputs that are each phase shifted with respect to one another,
wherein the optical encoder is implemented as part of an analog-to-digital conversion system, the analog-to-digital conversion system including:
one or more photodetectors to receive and convert each of the four optical outputs into an associated electrical signal, and
a digitizer to convert the electrical signals produced by the one or more photodetectors into digital signals,
wherein the analog-to-digital conversion system further comprises a digital signal processor configured to:
receive the digital signals corresponding to the four optical outputs; and
determine a phase value indicative of the RF signal that includes unwrapping a wrapped phase value associated with the four optical outputs.