Optically-coupled high frequency amplifier

Claim 2

A high-frequency amplifier comprising: laser means, including inherent inductive and capactive characteristics, for generating a beam of electromagnetic energy; modulating means for modulating said beam of electromagnetic energy in response to an input signal having a modulation frequency in excess of ninety gigahertz; laser impedance matching means, coupled to said laser means, for increasing the maximum operating frequency of said laser means and including first reactive means for compensating for said inherent inductive and capacitive characteristics of said laser means; receiving means, including inherent inductive and capacitive characteristics and electromagnetically coupled by said beam to said laser means, for receiving said beam and for providing an output signal in response thereto; and receiver impedance matching means, coupled to said receiving means, for increasing the maximum operating frequency of said receiving means and including second reactive means for compensating for said inherent inductive and capacitive characteristics of said receiving means.

Claim 3

The amplifier of claim 1 wherein said first reactive means includes circuit elements realizing reactances conjugate to said inductive and capacitive characteristics of said laser means and said second reactive means includes circuit elements realizing reactances conjugate to said inductive and capacitive characteristics of said receiving means.

Claim 4

In a high-frequency amplifier including an electromagnetic source having inductive and capactivie characteristics, a method of amplifying an electromagnetic signal comprising the steps of: (a) generating an electromagnetic beam with said source; (b) modulating said beam in response to said signal at a modulation frequency in excess of ninety gigahertz; (c) compensating for said inductive and capacitive characteristics by providing circuit elements which realize inductive and capacitive reactances conjugate to said characteristics; and (d) receiving said beam and providing an output signal in response thereto.

Claim 5

In a high-frequency amplifier including an electromagnetic source having inductive and capactivie characteristics, a method of amplifying an electromagnetic signal comprising the steps of: (a) generating an electromagnetic beam with said source; (b) modulating said beam in response to said signal at a modulation frequency in excess of ninety gigahertz; (c) compensating for said inductive and capacitive characteristics by providing circuit elements which realize inductive and capacitive reactances conjugate to said characteristics; and (d) receiving said beam and providing an output signal in response thereto.

Claim 6

In a high-frequency amplifier including an electromagnetic source having inductive and capactivie characteristics, a method of amplifying an electromagnetic signal comprising the steps of: (a) generating an electromagnetic beam; (b) modulating said beam in response to said signal at a modulation frequency in excess of ninety gigahertz; (c) receiving said beam with said receiving means and providing an output signal in response thereto; and (d) compensating for said inductive and capacitive characteristics by providing circuit elements which realize inductive and capacitive reactances conjugate to said characteristics at the frequency of said output signal.

Claim 7

In a high-frequency amplifier including an electromagnetic source having inductive and capactivie characteristics, a method of amplifying an electromagnetic signal comprising the steps of: (a) generating an electromagnetic beam; (b) modulating said beam in response to said signal at a modulation frequency in excess of ninety gigahertz; (c) receiving said beam with said receiving means and providing an output signal in response thereto; and (d) compensating for said inductive and capacitive characteristics by providing circuit elements which realize inductive and capacitive reactances conjugate to said characteristics at the frequency of said output signal.

Claim 8

In a high-frequency amplifier, including an electromagnetic energy source having first inductive and capacitive characteristics and further including receiving means with second inductive and capacitive characteristics, a method of amplifying an electromagnetic signal comprising the steps of: (a) generating an electromagnetic beam with said electromagnetic energy source; (b) focusing said beam; (c) modulating said beam in response to said signal at a modulation frequency in excess of ninety gigahertz; (d) compensating for said first inductive and capacitive characteristics by providing circuit elements realizing reactances conjugate to said first characteristics; (e) receiving said beam with said receiving means and providing an output signal in response thereto; and (f) compensating for said second inductive and capacitive characteristics by providing circuit elements realizing reactances conjugate to said second characteristics.

Claim 9

In a high-frequency amplifier, including an electromagnetic energy source having first inductive and capacitive characteristics and further including receiving means with second inductive and capacitive characteristics, a method of amplifying an electromagnetic signal comprising the steps of: (a) generating an electromagnetic beam with said electromagnetic energy source; (b) focusing said beam; (c) modulating said beam in response to said signal at a modulation frequency in excess of ninety gigahertz; (d) compensating for said first inductive and capacitive characteristics by providing circuit elements realizing reactances conjugate to said first characteristics; (e) receiving said beam with said receiving means and providing an output signal in response thereto; and (f) compensating for said second inductive and capacitive characteristics by providing circuit elements realizing reactances conjugate to said second characteristics.

Claim 14

A high frequency amplifier comprising: laser means for generating a beam of electromagnetic energy, said laser means having inherent reactive characteristics; modulating means for modulating said beam of electromagnetic energy in response to an input signal having a modulation frequency in excess of ninety gigahertz, said modulating means including laser impedance matching means for increasing the maximum operating frequency of said laser means, said laser impedance matching means including reactive means for compensating for said inherent reactive characteristics of said laser means; and receiving means, electromagnetically coupled by said beam to said laser means, for receiving said beam and for providing an output signal in response thereto.

Claim 15

A high frequency amplifier comprising: laser means for generating a beam of electromagnetic energy, said laser means having inherent reactive characteristics; modulating means for modulating said beam of electromagnetic energy in response to an input signal having a modulation frequency in excess of ninety gigahertz, said modulating means including laser impedance matching means for increasing the maximum operating frequency of said laser means, said laser impedance matching means including reactive means for compensating for said inherent reactive characteristics of said laser means; and receiving means, electromagnetically coupled by said beam to said laser means, for receiving said beam and for providing an output signal in response thereto.

Claim 16

A high frequency amplifier comprising: laser means for generating a beam of electromagnetic energy, said laser means having inherent reactive characteristics; modulating means for modulating said beam of electromagnetic energy in response to an input signal having a modulation frequency in excess of ninety gigahertz; and receiving means, electromagnetically coupled by said beam to said laser means, for receiving said beam and for providing an output signal in response thereto, said receiving means having inherent reactive characteristics and including receiver impedance matching means for increasing the maximum operating frequency of said receiving means, said impedance matching means including reactance means for compensating for said inherent reactive characteristics of said receiving means.

Claim 17

A high frequency amplifier comprising: laser means for generating a beam of electromagnetic energy, said laser means having inherent reactive characteristics; modulating means for modulating said beam of electromagnetic energy in response to an input signal having a modulation frequency in excess of ninety gigahertz; and receiving means, electromagnetically coupled by said beam to said laser means, for receiving said beam and for providing an output signal in response thereto, said receiving means having inherent reactive characteristics and including receiver impedance matching means for increasing the maximum operating frequency of said receiving means, said impedance matching means including reactance means for compensating for said inherent reactive characteristics of said receiving means.

Claim 18

The amplifier of claim 9 wherein said modulating means comprises an electro-optic modulator positioned between said laser means and said receiving means.

Claim 19

A millimeter wave amplifier comprising: laser means for generating a beam of electromagnetic energy, said laser means having inherent reactive characteristics; modulating means for modulating said beam of electromagnetic energy in response to an input millimeter wave signal having a modulation frequency in excess of ninety gigahertz, said modulating means including laser impedance matching means for increasing the maximum operating frequency of said laser means, said laser impedance matching means including reactive means for compensating for said inherent reactive characteristics of said laser means; and receiving means, electromagnetically coupled by said beam to said laser means, for receiving sadi beam and for providing an output millimeter wave signal with gain in response thereo.

Claim 20

A millimeter wave amplifier comprising: laser means for generating a beam of electromagnetic energy, said laser means having inherent reactive characteristics; modulating means for modulating said beam of electromagnetic energy in response to an input millimeter wave signal having a modulation frequency in excess of ninety gigahertz, said modulating means including laser impedance matching means for increasing the maximum operating frequency of said laser means, said laser impedance matching means including reactive means for compensating for said inherent reactive characteristics of said laser means; and receiving means, electromagnetically coupled by said beam to said laser means, for receiving sadi beam and for providing an output millimeter wave signal with gain in response thereo.

Claim 21

A millimeter wave amplifier comprising: laser means for generating a beam of electromagnetic energy, said laser means having inherent reactive characteristics; modulating means for modulating said beam of electromagnetic energy in response to an input millimeter wave signal having a modulation frequency in excess of ninety gigahertz; and receiving means, electromagnetically coupled by said beam to said laser means, for receiving said beam and for providing an output millimeter wave signal with gain in response thereto, said receiving means having inheent reactive characteristics and including receiver impedance matching means for increasing the maximum operating frequency of said receiving means, said receiver impedance matching means including reactance means for compensating for said inherent reactive characteristics of said receiving means.

Claim 22

A millimeter wave amplifier comprising: laser means for generating a beam of electromagnetic energy, said laser means having inherent reactive characteristics; modulating means for modulating said beam of electromagnetic energy in response to an input millimeter wave signal having a modulation frequency in excess of ninety gigahertz; and receiving means, electromagnetically coupled by said beam to said laser means, for receiving said beam and for providing an output millimeter wave signal with gain in response thereto, said receiving means having inheent reactive characteristics and including receiver impedance matching means for increasing the maximum operating frequency of said receiving means, said receiver impedance matching means including reactance means for compensating for said inherent reactive characteristics of said receiving means.

Claim 23

A millimeter wave amplifier comprising: laser means for generating a beam of electromagnetic energy, said laser means having inherent reactive characteristics; laser impedance matching means for increasing the maximum operating frequency of said laser means, said laser impedance matching means including first reactive means for compensating for said inherent reactive characteristics of said laser means; modulating means for modulating said beam of electromagnetic energy in response to an input millimeter wave signal having a modulation frequency in excess of ninety gigahertz; receiving means, electromagnetically coupled by said beam to said laser means, for receiving said beam and for providing an output millimeter wave signal with gain in response thereto, said receiving means having inherent reactive characteristics; and receiving impedance matching means coupled to said receiving means for increasing the maximum operating frequency of said receivign means, said receiver impedance matching means including reactive means for compensating for said inherent reactive characteristics of said receiving means.

Claim 24

A millimeter wave amplifier comprising: laser means for generating a beam of electromagnetic energy, said laser means having inherent reactive characteristics; laser impedance matching means for increasing the maximum operating frequency of said laser means, said laser impedance matching means including first reactive means for compensating for said inherent reactive characteristics of said laser means; modulating means for modulating said beam of electromagnetic energy in response to an input millimeter wave signal having a modulation frequency in excess of ninety gigahertz; receiving means, electromagnetically coupled by said beam to said laser means, for receiving said beam and for providing an output millimeter wave signal with gain in response thereto, said receiving means having inherent reactive characteristics; and receiving impedance matching means coupled to said receiving means for increasing the maximum operating frequency of said receivign means, said receiver impedance matching means including reactive means for compensating for said inherent reactive characteristics of said receiving means.

Claim 25

The amplifier of claim 8 wherein said modulating means cmoprises an electro-optic modulator positioned between said laser means and said receiving means.