Generation of Power-Efficient FCC-Compliant UWB Waveforms Using FBGs: Analysis and Experiment

In this paper, we design, analyze, and demonstrate experimentally U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC)- compliant power-efficient ultrawideband (UWB) waveforms generated by optical pulse shaping. The time-domain pulse shape is written in the frequency domain, and a single-mode fiber performs the frequency-to-time conversion. The waveform is inscribed in the frequency domain by the fiber Bragg grating (FBG). A significant challenge for this approach is elimination of an unwanted, positive rectangular pulse superimposed on the desired waveform. Our innovative use of balanced photodetection eliminates this pedestal, assuring compliance with the FCC mask at low frequency. Three UWB pulses with duration of 0.3,0.6, and 1.2 ns are designed and tested experimentally. Whereas an excellent match between the optimized and measured pulses is achieved for the simpler, shorter duration waveforms, the noise in the fabrication process of FBGs limits the generation of the more complex, longer duration waveforms.