Photonic-Enabled Intelligent Ultrahigh-Bandwidth Time-Frequency Waveform Processing

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Modern information processing and communication technologies (ICTs) are based on exploiting the temporal variations of electromagnetic waves for transmitting, processing, and sensing the desired data. This is the strategy at the core of a wide range of applications, including telecommunication systems, and current platforms for sensing, imaging, and metrology, such as radar and lidar schemes. These applications require the development of "waveform processing" tools, comprising the generation, manipulation, detection and analysis of the temporal profile and related properties (e.g., frequency spectrum) of the involved waves. To fulfil the ever-growing demand for higher capacity and more advanced (e.g., "intelligent") ICT capabilities, the waveform processing needs to be implemented at faster speeds (well above the GHz range), and with superior versatility and real-time adaptability. This is referred to as the "cognitive" or "software-defined" paradigm. Present solutions mainly rely on electronics-based digital signal processing (DSP). This approach enables sophisticated waveform processing in a flexible and agile fashion, but the required set of stringent specifications for the cognitive paradigm is beyond the reach of present technologies. This Discovery program will explore an alternative approach, namely, analog optical signal processing (OSP), in which the desired operations are implemented using ultrafast light waves and photonic devices. Previous research has provided clear evidence of the significant processing speed (or bandwidth) advantage of photonics in compact and efficient implementations, e.g., on integrated chips. However, as conceived to date, the OSP approach is limited to very basic waveform processing functionalities and with greatly constrained programmability, hindering its ultimate practical application potential. This research program will address these critical shortcomings through the development of ground-breaking OSP technologies with a level of complexity and reconfigurability similar to that of the most advanced DSP schemes, while offering a dramatic increase in processing speed, to the THz range. As a relevant step in this direction, we will advance the OSP approach to enable real-time application of the powerful joint time-frequency signal analysis framework on ultrahigh-speed waves and systems (for the first time), opening the path to key advancements in the field. Through these activities, the program will make important contributions, both in fundamental science and technological developments, towards the realization of fundamental signal-processing engines for future "intelligent" ultrafast ICT systems, including broad-bandwidth communications, radar and lidar platforms. The new knowledge generated from this program and the training of HQP in the targeted strategic areas will contribute to enhance Canada's global competitiveness in critical high-technology sectors.