All-optical clock frequency divider using Fabry–Perot laser diode based on the dynamical period-one oscillation

Abstract

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a frequency divider implemented by an optically injected Fabry–Perot laser diode (FP-LD) based on the nonlinear dynamical period-one oscillation. Injected by optical pulses, the FP-LD will oscillate in unstable dynamical period-one (P1) oscillation. Through changing the injected strength, emitting wavelength and bias current of the FP-LD, the oscillating frequencies of the P1 state can be varied. Once one of the harmonic frequencies is adjusted to match the repetition frequency of injected optical clock pulse, the P1 oscillation will be locked, and then a divided clock at the fundamental frequency of the P1 oscillation can be generated. By utilizing this divider, we can achieve the optical clock frequency division of divide-by-two, -three and -four in a wide input frequency range, for instance, of 9.0 to 20.0GHz for divide-by-two. The influence of injected optical power on the timing jitter of the divided clock is also investigated. It is expected that this frequency divider can be applied to high frequency division exceeding 100GHz due to its fast P1 oscillation.