An apparatus for optically extracting phase modulated signals in an electronic domain, comprising: an optical pulse source configured to generate a broadband optical pulse train; a first input configured to receive an analog radio frequency, RF, input; a second input configured to receive the broadband optical pulse train; an optical frontend coupled to the first input and the second input to receive the analog RF input and the broadband optical pulse train, and to modulate the broadband optical pulse train in accordance with the analog RF signal, the optical frontend configured to output a RF modulated signal; wherein the optical frontend comprises: a first dispersive element; a first optical-to-electrical converter, coupled to the first dispersive element, an optical local oscillator, LO, generator coupled to the second input to receive the broadband optical pulse train, and to produce an RF tone at a desired RF frequency; wherein the optical LO generator comprises: a delay line interferometer to receive broadband optical pulse train; a second dispersive element, coupled to the delay line interferometer, to map an output optical pulse train to a time-domain modulated optical pulse train; and a second optical-to-electrical converter, coupled to the second dispersive element, to convert the time-domain modulated optical pulse train to an analog electrical signal; an RF backend coupled to the optical frontend and to the optical LO generator to receive the RF modulated signal and the RF tone at the desired RF frequency, and to mix the RF modulated signal using the RF tone at the desired RF frequency to produce in-phase, I, and quadrature, Q, pulses corresponding to the analog RF input. an optical pulse source configured to generate a broadband optical pulse train; a first input configured to receive an analog radio frequency, RF, input; a second input configured to receive the broadband optical pulse train; an optical frontend coupled to the first input and the second input to receive the analog RF input and the broadband optical pulse train, and to modulate the broadband optical pulse train in accordance with the analog RF signal, the optical frontend configured to output a RF modulated signal; wherein the optical frontend comprises: a first dispersive element; a first optical-to-electrical converter, coupled to the first dispersive element, a first dispersive element; a first optical-to-electrical converter, coupled to the first dispersive element, an optical local oscillator, LO, generator coupled to the second input to receive the broadband optical pulse train, and to produce an RF tone at a desired RF frequency; wherein the optical LO generator comprises: a delay line interferometer to receive broadband optical pulse train; a second dispersive element, coupled to the delay line interferometer, to map an output optical pulse train to a time-domain modulated optical pulse train; and a second optical-to-electrical converter, coupled to the second dispersive element, to convert the time-domain modulated optical pulse train to an analog electrical signal; a delay line interferometer to receive broadband optical pulse train; a second dispersive element, coupled to the delay line interferometer, to map an output optical pulse train to a time-domain modulated optical pulse train; and a second optical-to-electrical converter, coupled to the second dispersive element, to convert the time-domain modulated optical pulse train to an analog electrical signal; an RF backend coupled to the optical frontend and to the optical LO generator to receive the RF modulated signal and the RF tone at the desired RF frequency, and to mix the RF modulated signal using the RF tone at the desired RF frequency to produce in-phase, I, and quadrature, Q, pulses corresponding to the analog RF input.