Review of optical techniques for A/D and D/A conversion

In many applications, improved A/D converters are highly desirable. To date such components are all electronic devices, but with the recent dramatic advances in optical techniques, primarily for use in fibre optic telecommunications, it is pertinent to investigate the potential of these to supplement (not replace) electronics in A/D and D/A converters and other high-speed sampling systems. The attractions of optics for this purpose are: (1) high bandwidth (many GHz), leading to picosecond sampling times; (2) precise timing; and (3) little crosstalk between optical signals, and immunity of signals in optical format to electromagnetic interference