High Performance, Miniature, Wideband Signal Generator for mm-Waves Navy SBIR FY2013.1 Sol No.: Navy SBIR FY2013.1 Topic No.: N131-080 Topic Title: High Performance, Miniature, Wideband Signal Generator for mm-Waves Proposal No.: N131-080-0852 Firm: OEwaves, Inc. 465 N. Halstead St. Suite 140 Pasadena, California 91107-6016 Contact: Andrey Matsko Phone: (626) 351-4200 Web Site: www.oewaves.com Abstract: OEwaves has pioneered the use of photonics for generation of spectrally pure RF signals. The micro Opto-Electronic Oscillator (MOEO) provides the highest reported spectral purity at Ka-band in a package the size of a postage stamp. This technology, based on OEwaves crystalline whispering gallery mode (WGM) resonator, can be modified to provide wideband tunability, together with its high spectral purity and small SWaP. In the proposed program, OEwaves will utilize the difference in frequency response of modes of different families in a WGM resonator made with electro-optic material to realize wideband tunability. Tunability is achieved by application of a DC voltage on the resonator, which will result in different frequency shifts of transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) modes of the resonator. Two lasers injection locked to each mode will also move in frequency in response to the applied DC field, and their beat on a fast photodetector produces the desired tunable MMW signal. This approach directly addresses the requirements for a widely tunable, high performance and low SWaP signal generator. It also naturally lends itself to the extension of the frequency of operation to the ultimately desired value of 300 GHz. Since the electro-optic effect is extremely fast, the architecture provides sub microsecond agility, limited only to the settling time of the resonator. Benefits: OEwaves' commercialization strategy for the MMW signal generator includes sales to DoD and private sector markets. The need for such signal generators with improved phase noise performance in smaller, less expensive packages extends beyond military EW and SATCOM to civilian SATCOM, navigation, point-to-point ground-based microwave radios, and other primary applications listed above. This broader commercial market will increase the volume of the manufacturing base, allowing the DoD to purchase commercial off-the-shelf products that meet its needs at lower unit cost. The signal generator will be the best product available for any other applications requiring ultra-high spectral purity in the 30-120 GHz range and beyond. The signal generator's combination of low power consumption, small size, robust packaging, superior spectral noise characteristics, and lower cost of production will beat the foreseeable competition across all performance specifications. Potential customers include, Federal government (DoD, NASA, NOAA, NIST), defense contractors (Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Rockwell Collins, Thales, BAE Systems, L-3 Communications, etc.),wireless communication equipment vendors (Ericsson, Nokia Siemens, Alcatel-Lucent, Huawei, NEC, Fujitsu, Dragonwave, Ceragon Networks, Bridgewave, etc.), test equipment vendors (Agilent, Rohde & Schwarz, Tektronix, Anritsu, Spirent, etc.). Return