8-bit integrated optical SNS ADC

Recently, a new technique has been described for extending the resolution of an integrated optical multi-interferometer analog-to-digital converter (ADC). These types of ADCs can directly digitise the signals from an antenna and play an important role in eliminating the need for intermediate frequency and baseband processing. With resolution greater than 12 bits, these types of architectures are useful for a variety of applications. The new technique is based on the incorporation of a symmetrical number system (SNS) encoding to provide high resolution (greater than 1-bit per interferometer) while also reducing the complexity of the optical hardware. In this paper we present recent developments on an 8-bit design using this approach.<
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