Programmable microwave photonic phase filters with large time-bandwidth product based on ultra-broadband optical frequency comb generation

Optical frequency comb generators, when combined with line-by-line pulse shaping, allow for the synthesis of programmable microwave photonic phase filters. The filter's achievable time-bandwidth product is related to the number of comb lines that can be individually manipulated. In this contribution, we present a flat ultra-broad optical frequency comb generator based on external non-linear broadening in a highly nonlinear fiber. We show that this optical source can be used to achieve a programmable microwave photonic filter with >80 complex-coefficient taps. We illustrate the potential of this filter by performing a microwave-chirped-pulse compression experiment. These results open new possibilities to realize signal processing tasks over nanosecond temporal apertures with broad bandwidth content.