Abstract 

This PhD thesis focuses on the design and implementation of novel approaches with the aim of developing photonic-assisted RF signal processing tasks by exploiting slow and fast light (SFL) effects in different media. For this purpose, different technology platforms such as semiconductor waveguides, silicon-on-insulator (SOI) and III-V compounds based resonant-type structures have been investigated. In this work, RF photonic phase shifting and true time delaying line functionalities have been proposed and demonstrated in the microwave and millimetre spectral bands. Analytical and numerical models, properly validated through experimental results, have been per­formed so as to describe the behavior of the proposed approaches in the context of delay/phase-shift features as a function of the delay/phase-shift tunable mechanism. A noise performance evaluation of semiconductor-based microwave photonics (MWP) phase shifting stages has been accomplished. A customized MWP phase shifting stage has been presented resulting in noise performance enhancement while keeping unaltered the functionality as a phase shifter. Different approaches implementing RF signal processing tasks have also been demonstrated through the use of SOI micro-ring resonators (MRR). A novel concept enabling bandwidth enlargement on certain MWP signal processors based on a modification of the so-called separate carrier tuning (SCT) technique has been introduced. In addition, the implementation of photonic­assisted RF and data signal processors has been addressed by exploiting SFL effects in III-V-on-Si microdisk resonators (MDR). The design, technology and fabrication of this device have been detailed in-depth. All the proposed SFL-based approaches have been integrated as key elements in the implementation of more complex signal processing tasks, such as, tunable and recon.gurable complex-valued multi-tap MWP filters, multi-channel true time delaying tunable lines operating at high aggregate bit rates or high-bandwidth phase modulators. Finally, the performance of the developed signal processors have been evaluated with respect of significant figures of merit.