Sponsored by Harris Corporation
The motivation for this project stems from the motivations of the microwave communications industry to adopt photonics-based solutions for a variety of purposes. Photonics processing components add a high degree of bandwidth, while reducing the SWaP penalties of traditional microwave components. Our project utilizes serrodyne phase modulation to shift the frequency of an optical signal over a wide range with a high degree of precision as part of an overarching photonics signal processing system. This is accomplished by combining optical and electrical subsystems.
Being the only member of the team who is not an optics major working on a primarily optics project allowed me to gain more experience in the optics field, which is something that has interested me for some time. Being on this team allowed me to use what I have learned as an electrical engineer and apply it in a way I may not have otherwise done. This project also gave me the opportunity to understand how to design and use a microcontroller to fit the given requirements for our design. Previous courses have allowed me to understand just how to build and design circuits for a desired output signal. In the scope of this project, however, I needed to understand how the microcontroller will work in tandem with any connected parts. Thus I needed to first understand the properties of the signals that are desired and then figure out the best approach to implement such a signal. Overall this project was desirable for me by taking me outside of my comfort zone, allowing to learn and understand optics, a discipline that has similarities with yet is different than my own, while also working on an aspect of my own discipline I am not entirely experienced with. Being able to learn and adapt to these objectives gave me confidence that I can adapt to any situation and problem that I may have to face.
With my majors being electrical engineering and photonic science, this project presented a great opportunity to apply my knowledge of both areas into one design. I gained experience in both fields. Also, I am looking into a future career in the defense field, so this project gave me good experience in that area since it has military applications. In addition to the above, this project was a great opportunity to see how both of my majors can tie together in a final system. Usually my classes focus on just the electrical engineering aspects of a project or just the photonics/optics aspects of a project; however, now I can see how both sides are equally important in the design, development, and function of a final system. I have had an internship that was focused on electrical engineering design, but I have been wanting to also gain some industry experience in the field of optics. Although not directly in the industry, this project was funded by a major corporation, and it involved working with industry professionals. I feel this was a good opportunity to give me some idea of what it is like to work in the field of optics in industry before I graduate from school.
As an optics and photonics engineer, this project presented an opportunity to gain knowledge and experience in designing and perfecting an advanced fiber optic communications system. This project presented challenges from an optics approach as well as real engineering issues regarding optical engineering components. Personally, fiber optics communication systems and photonics processing systems for electronic warfare and communication has been of great interest to me throughout my academic career. This project provided the opportunity to work on an exciting topic with some of the leaders in the field at Harris Corporation. Another personal motivation was the chance to learn and improve upon electrical engineering and coding skills. Due to the nature of the project I was able to gain experience with some of the topics I have learned in general electrical and computer engineering courses.
With my major being Photonic Science and Engineering, I wanted to do a project that was heavily optics based. Every since taking geometric optics, the methods of directing, bending, and manipulating light has interested me very much. The applications of various optical systems have been very fascinating to me, and I wanted to learn what it is like to actually design an optical system. This project gave me an opportunity to apply concepts and principles I have learned from my academic studies to a real project. Personally, I learn best by doing, so working with optics and optical systems aided me in learning more about my field of study. I was excited to see how things on paper met real world application. Another motivation for me personally is that I am very interested in increasing my experience with research, design, and testing. I have very limited experience with these disciplines in the past, and this project had me engage in all three. I am motivated by this project because it gave me a taste of what industry will be like, since we worked with Harris to attempt to provide a system that will be of use to them. Overall, this project stretched me in my knowledge and allowed me to gain valuable skills that will be useful to my career in industry.