Signal processing based on broadband parametric optical combs

Detecting and analyzing the spectral content of intercepted microwave and millimeter-wave signals over a very wide bandwidth in real-time and with high resolution is an essential capability in many applications, ranging from commercial and surveillance, to defense. This is typically implemented by dividing the RF spectrum to be analyzed into narrower frequency slices, known as channelizing, which effectively sub-rates the input bandwidth and allows for signal processing in parallel with increased resolution [1].