Patent ID: 8726317

Claim:
A method of converting a modulated optical signal to an encoded electrical signal utilizing a device comprising an electrooptic sideband generator, an optical filter, and an optical/electrical converter, wherein the method comprises: directing the modulated optical signal to an optical input of the electrooptic sideband generator, wherein the modulated optical signal carries encoded optical data; over-driving the electrooptic sideband generator at a control voltage larger than Vπ, where Vπ represents a voltage at which a π phase shift is induced in an optical waveguide of the sideband generator, to generate frequency sidebands about a carrier frequency of the input optical signal; utilizing the optical filter to discriminate between the frequency sidebands and the carrier frequency and combine sidebands-of-interest, wherein the frequency spacing of the sidebands-of-interest defines a millimeter wave modulation frequency to yield at least one frequency-converted optical signal wherein the frequency converted optical signal carries the encoded optical data and the millimeter wave modulation frequency is a function of the spacing of the sidebands-of-interest in the frequency domain; directing the frequency-converted optical signal carrying the encoded optical data to the optical/electrical converter; and utilizing the optical/electrical converter to convert the frequency-converted optical signal to an encoded electrical signal.