Abstract: Devices and methods for converting an input electromagnetic signal to an output optical signal consisting of dual sidebands with equalized quantum-limited noise figures of about 3 dB are provided. For instance, a device includes an input for receiving the input electromagnetic signal and an output for delivering the output optical signal; and a non-linear material component connected between the input and the output of the device, the non-linear material component having a non-linear electric susceptibility, wherein the non-linear electric susceptibility of the non-linear material component is selected to mix the input signal with an optical pump signal to produce the output optical signal, wherein the output optical signal has sidebands corresponding to the input signal, and amplifying this optical signal in a phase-sensitive amplifier to produce an output optical signal with sidebands having equalized amplitudes and noise figures.

Abstract: A system and method for channelization of a wideband radio frequency signal into multiple narrowband channels includes obtaining, a dual-banded optical signal, where the dual-banded signal is a translated wideband radio frequency signal, and where the dual-banded signal includes a signal and an idler. The method also includes modifying, by the spectral phase mask, the spectral phases of at least one of the signal or the idler, where the modifying produces a spectral phase modulated output comprising at least one of a spectrally-modulated signal or a spectrally modulated idler. The method includes outputting, by the spectral phase mask, the spectral phase modulated output to an optical phase sensitive amplifier. The method includes receiving, by the optical phase sensitive amplifier, the spectral phase modulated output, and either amplifying or de-amplifying, by the optical phase sensitive amplifier, each component of the spectrally modulated output.

Abstract: Provided are methods and systems for controlling a phase characteristic of entangled photon pairs. The phase characteristic may be a relative phase difference between photons of the entangled photon pair. Also provided are methods and systems for stabilizing distributed interferometers used in quantum communication systems.

Abstract: In one aspect, there is provided a method for transmitting a two-qubit state. The method includes: propagating the two-qubit state onto a transmission waveguide, wherein the propagating includes distributing the two-qubit state about a certain phase; and transmitting the two-qubit state through the transmission waveguide using a pump pulse having the certain phase, wherein the pump pulse is provided in a manner so that the transmission waveguide functions as an optical phase sensitive amplifier (OPSA).

Abstract: A system and method for channelization of a wideband radio frequency signal into multiple narrowband channels includes obtaining, a dual-banded optical signal, where the dual-banded signal is a translated wideband radio frequency signal, and where the dual-banded signal includes a signal and an idler. The method also includes modifying, by the spectral phase mask, the spectral phases of at least one of the signal or the idler, where the modifying produces a spectral phase modulated output comprising at least one of a spectrally-modulated signal or a spectrally modulated idler. The method includes outputting, by the spectral phase mask, the spectral phase modulated output to an optical phase sensitive amplifier. The method includes receiving, by the optical phase sensitive amplifier, the spectral phase modulated output, and either amplifying or de-amplifying, by the optical phase sensitive amplifier, each component of the spectrally modulated output.

Abstract: Devices and methods for converting an input electromagnetic signal to an output optical signal consisting of dual sidebands with equalized quantum-limited noise figures of about 3 dB are provided. For instance, a device includes an input for receiving the input electromagnetic signal and an output for delivering the output optical signal; and a non-linear material component connected between the input and the output of the device, the non-linear material component having a non-linear electric susceptibility, wherein the non-linear electric susceptibility of the non-linear material component is selected to mix the input signal with an optical pump signal to produce the output optical signal, wherein the output optical signal has sidebands corresponding to the input signal, and amplifying this optical signal in a phase-sensitive amplifier to produce an output optical signal with sidebands having equalized amplitudes and noise figures.

Abstract: A system and method for processing an input signal includes a non-linear material component for receiving the signal. The non-linear material component is selected to mix the input signal with an optical pump wave to output an optical signal. The system also includes a parametric amplifier coupled to the non-linear material to obtain the optical signal and to amplify the optical signal to generate an amplified signal and an amplified idler which is a conjugate image of the amplified signal. The system also includes a frequency converter, to obtain the amplified signal and the amplified idler from the parametric amplifier and to convert the amplified signal and the amplified idler into a first output and a second output. The system also includes a first spectral sampling and processing apparatus to obtain and process the first output.

Abstract: In one aspect, there is provided a method for transmitting a two-qubit state. The method includes: propagating the two-qubit state onto a transmission waveguide, wherein the propagating includes distributing the two-qubit state about a certain phase; and transmitting the two-qubit state through the transmission waveguide using a pump pulse having the certain phase, wherein the pump pulse is provided in a manner so that the transmission waveguide functions as an optical phase sensitive amplifier (OPSA).

Abstract: A system and method for processing an input signal includes a non-linear material component for receiving the signal. The non-linear material component is selected to mix the input signal with an optical pump wave to output an optical signal. The system also includes a parametric amplifier coupled to the non-linear material to obtain the optical signal and to amplify the optical signal to generate an amplified signal and an amplified idler which is a conjugate image of the amplified signal. The system also includes a frequency converter, to obtain the amplified signal and the amplified idler from the parametric amplifier and to convert the amplified signal and the amplified idler into a first output and a second output. The system also includes a first spectral sampling and processing apparatus to obtain and process the first output.

Abstract: Provided are methods and systems for controlling a phase characteristic of entangled photon pairs. The phase characteristic may be a relative phase difference between photons of the entangled photon pair. Also provided are methods and systems for stabilizing distributed interferometers used in quantum communication systems.

Abstract: Multimode light detectors are provided, which combine a plurality of measurements of light to detect information, using a mode transformation device. The light may be light from one or more objects, and the mode transformation device may be configured to transform the light into many single mode light beams. Each measurement of the light may be a measurement of a corresponding single mode light beam. The multimode detectors may include one or more optical receivers, configured to mix one or more single mode light beams with one or more local oscillators, respectively. Methods are provided for detecting information of objects, including obtaining light from the objects, transforming the light into multiple single mode light beams, and collecting (and/or combining) measurements of the single mode light beams.

Abstract: A system comprises a source of entangled photon pairs. The source is to place a signal photon and an idler photon in individual unknown quantum states but in a known entangled quantum state. One or more transmission channels are connected to the source. Each of the one or more transmission channels transmits one of the signal photon or the idler photon. Each of the one or more transmission channels is to substantially balance an instantaneous transmission loss with an instantaneous transmission gain distributed over a transmission distance. Analysis interferometers are configured to receive a corresponding one of the signal photon or the idler photon. Each of the one or more analysis interferometers is to perform a basis measurement on one of the signal photon or the idler photon. Single-photon detectors detect one of the signal photon or the idler photon.

Abstract: Changes in a signal are detected. The signal is repeatedly sampled in a synchronous manner during a predetermined interval to generate a captured eye diagram. At least one of a positive differential eye diagram or a negative differential eye diagram is generated from the captured eye diagram and a baseline eye diagram. The at least one positive or negative differential eye diagram is analyzed to determine whether a change in signal conditions is present.

Abstract: Multimode light detectors are provided, which combine a plurality of measurements of light to detect information, using a mode transformation device. The light may be light from one or more objects, and the mode transformation device may be configured to transform the light into many single mode light beams. Each measurement of the light may be a measurement of a corresponding single mode light beam. The multimode detectors may include one or more optical receivers, configured to mix one or more single mode light beams with one or more local oscillators, respectively. Methods are provided for detecting information of objects, including obtaining light from the objects, transforming the light into multiple single mode light beams, and collecting (and/or combining) measurements of the single mode light beams.

Abstract: An optical communications network incorporating photonic layer security, with secure key exchange without loss of data, and a method of operating the network are disclosed. The network comprises a transmit side and a receive side. The transmit side includes first and second scramblers and a transmit side switch; and the receive side includes first and second descramblers and a receive side switch. The scramblers use encryption keys to encrypt optical signals, and the descramblers use the encryption keys to decrypt the encrypted optical signals. The encryption keys can be updated randomly and at will by installing new encryption keys on the scramblers and descramblers, and the transmit side and receive side switches are synchronized so that all of the optical signals that are encrypted using a new or updated encryption key are decrypted using the same new or updated encryption key.

Abstract: A system comprises a source of entangled photon pairs. The source is to place a signal photon and an idler photon in individual unknown quantum states but in a known entangled quantum state. One or more transmission channels are connected to the source. Each of the one or more transmission channels transmits one of the signal photon or the idler photon. Each of the one or more transmission channels is to substantially balance an instantaneous transmission loss with an instantaneous transmission gain distributed over a transmission distance. Analysis interferometers are configured to receive a corresponding one of the signal photon or the idler photon. Each of the one or more analysis interferometers is to perform a basis measurement on one of the signal photon or the idler photon. Single-photon detectors detect one of the signal photon or the idler photon.

Abstract: A system and method for optimizing an optical RF photonic link system is presented. The system comprises a modulator subsystem in which nonlinear response is compensated by an envelope precompensation method and employs an optical filter to suppress optical carriers and extract modulated sidebands, an optical amplifier, and an array of photodetectors, each having a plurality of pairs of diodes. The modulator subsystem performs optical filtering on the signal, the signal is amplified by the optical amplifier and sent to the array of photodetectors. The optical amplifier can be an erbium doped fiber amplifier, or a phase sensitive amplifier. The optical power can be delivered to each diode of the array of photodetectors via a photonic integrated circuit.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling an optical filter is provided. The system and method includes dithering a delay of an optical path within an optical filter unit cell, measuring a position of a filter zero, measuring a position of a filter pole, or measuring positions of both a filter zero and a filter pole by observing an output of the unit cell when the delay is dithered, and using the measurement as feedback for maintaining the position of the filter zero at a desired position, maintaining the position of the filter pole at a desired position, or maintaining the positions of both the filter zero and the filter pole at desired positions.

Abstract: A system and method for transporting encrypted data having a transmitter and a receiver is provided. The transmitter generates a sequence of optical pulses, which are copied and output as identical channels. The identical channels are modulated by a plurality of modulators using data to generate a modulated data signal. Respective spectral phase encoders coupled to each of the plurality of data modulators encode respective modulated data signals using a plurality of mutually orthogonal phase codes that are individually associated with the respective spectral phase encoder. These encoded data signals are combined and code-scrambling by a spectral phase scrambler using a scramble code as an encryption key to generate an encrypted signal. A receiver reverses the encryption to extract the data.

Abstract: A system and method for selective wavelength interleaved filtering technique for analog to digital conversion (ADC) comprises a remote aperture for analog input, a modulator operable to transform the analog input into an initial optical signal, a photonic front end having high resolution optical filters operable to filter the optical signal into multiple subsequent optical signals and supply local oscillators for downconversion into electrical signals, a segmented subsystem having a plurality of ADCs, each operable to receive and convert one subsequent optical signal of the optical signals, and a memory buffer and process subsystem operable to reconstruct the converted subsequent optical signals into a digital representation of the analog input by executing reconstruction algorithms. Provision is made for compensation of distortions arising in the electrical to optical to electrical conversion process.