Period-One Laser Dynamics for Photonic Microwave Signal Generation and Applications

Abstract

Due to the advantages of rich dynamics, small size, and easy integration, semiconductor lasers have many applications in microwave photonics. With a proper perturbation to invoke period-one (P1) nonlinear laser dynamics, a widely tunable microwave signal can be generated. In this paper, we concentrate on the realization and application of photonic microwave signal generation based on the P1 oscillation state of semiconductor lasers. Recent developments in P1 dynamics-based tunable microwave signal generation techniques are reviewed with an emphasis on the optical injection system, which has a large frequency tuning range that is far beyond the intrinsic relaxation oscillation frequency. In order to improve the spectral purity and stability of the generated microwave signal, two typical approaches are introduced, i.e., microwave modulation stabilization, and delayed feedback stabilization. Various applications of the P1 dynamics-based microwave signal generator in diverse signal generation and photonic microwave signal processing are described. Development trends of the P1 dynamics-based photonic microwave signal generator are also discussed.