Improvement of the phase noise model based on an optoelectronic oscillator using a directly modulated distributed feedback laser

Abstract

A scheme of dual-loop optoelectronic oscillator (OEO) based on a directly modulated distributed feedback (DFB) laser is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. In the proposed scheme, thanks to the DFB laser with enough output optical power utilized as an optical source and a modulator at the same time, high-performance microwave signals are generated without external modulator and erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA). A theoretical model based on the control theory is detailed to assess the single sideband (SSB) phase noise performance of the dual-loop OEO. The laser frequency noise under small-signal direct modulation is proposed and introduced to make the phase noise model more complete for the first time. According to the theoretical analysis, the close-in (<1 MHz) SSB phase noise floor of the dual-loop OEO is dominated by the flicker noise when the offset frequency is below 10 kHz, and determined by the laser’s relative intensity noise (RIN) when the offset frequency is beyond 10 kHz. Microwave signals with the frequency tuned from 8 to 12 GHz and 3-dB linewidth less than 100 Hz are realized. The side mode suppression ratio (SMSR) of the generated microwave signals are measured to be 55 dB based on the dual-loop configuration. Meanwhile, within the whole frequency tuning range, the SSB phase noises of about −125 dBc/Hz at 10 kHz offset frequency are obtained. The experimental results of the SSB phase noise agree very well with the simulation results based on the theoretical model.