Research on electrode-free RF receiver front-end based on lithium niobate photonic chip

Abstract

Electronic information systems are highly sensitive to electromagnetic signals, rendering them vulnerable to electromagnetic weapon attacks. The presence of metal electrodes and wires in these systems prevents them from being immune to attacks from electromagnetic weapons. This study specifically focuses on enhancing the RF signal receiving front-end, comprising a lithium niobate modulation chip and a full dielectric antenna. We utilized the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method to simulate and optimize the chip structure of the lithium niobate waveguide. Based on the optimization results, a two-step etching process was employed to fabricate the chip. The micro-ring in the Ku-band photonic RF front-end has been experimentally measured to possess a Q-factor of 74,000, with an instantaneous bandwidth of 2.5 GHz. This research holds significant implications for safeguarding electronic information systems against the potential damage caused by electromagnetic forces.