Balanced Optical-microwave Phase Detectors Research Articles

Noise Processes and Nonlinear Mechanisms in Optoelectronic Phase-Locked Loop Using a Balanced Optical Microwave Phase Detector

This article analyses the effect of noise and nonlinearity in optoelectronic phase-locked loops (OEPLLs). The OEPLL phase-locks a microwave oscillator on the envelope of the optical pulse train from a mode-locked laser (MLL). The phase detector of this type of OEPLL is called a balanced optical microwave phase detector (BOMPD) and operates in a mixed electro-optical domain. The main noise sources in a BOMPD, such as shot noise of photodiodes, generation-recombination noise of photodiodes, relative intensity noise of the laser, and noise of the bias voltage applied to the BOMPD. are discussed. The nonlinear behavior of the BOMPD with respect to the intensity of the optical field and the amplitude of the RF voltage is discussed. An OEPLL that can lock on the harmonics and interharmonics of the MLL repetition rate is demonstrated. The OEPLL has an in-band phase noise of below −150 dBc/Hz at 100-kHz offset frequency for a carrier frequency of 10 GHz. This phase noise level is 10–20 dB better than state-of-the-art commercial frequency synthesizers.

Locking of microwave oscillators on the interharmonics of mode-locked laser signals.

In this paper, the theory of phase-locking of a microwave oscillator on the interharmonics, i.e. non-integer harmonics, of the repetition rate of the optical pulse train of a mode-locked laser (MLL) is developed. A balanced optical microwave phase detector (BOMPD) is implemented using a balanced Mach-Zehnder modulator and is employed to discriminate the phase difference between the envelope of the optical pulses and the microwave oscillator. It is shown mathematically that the inherent nonlinear properties of BOMPD with respect to the microwave excitation amplitude can be used for interharmonic locking. The characteristic functions of the phase detector for interharmonic locking are derived analytically and are compared with the measurement results. An opto-electronic phase-locked loop (OEPLL) is demonstrated whose output frequency locks on interharmonics of the MLL repetition rate when an appropriate modulator bias and sufficient RF amplitude are applied. Thus, for the first time theory and experiment of reliable locking on interharmonics of the repetition rate of a MLL are presented.

Photonic microwave synthesizer based on optically referenced sub-sampling phase-locked optoelectronic oscillator

Wideband and low phase noise microwave synthesizers are of critical significance for various applications. Phase-locked loop (PLL) based microwave synthesizers are widely used. Normally, the phase noise of the PLL based microwave synthesizer is limited by the phase noise of the reference, phase detector, frequency divider and voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO). It is challenging to achieve a pure electronic microwave synthesizer with wide frequency coverage and low phase noise, simultaneously. Here, we propose a photonic microwave synthesizer which incorporates an ultra-low phase noise fiber mode-locked laser (MLL) based reference and a wideband frequency tunable optoelectronic oscillator (OEO) based VCO in a hybrid optoelectronic sub-sampling PLL. The frequency of the OEO can be locked to the harmonics of the repetition-rate of the fiber MLL, which combines the distinct advantages of the low phase noise of MLL and the wideband frequency tuning of OEO. A sub-sampling phase detector formed by a balanced optical microwave phase detector (BOMPD) eliminates the use of RF frequency divider and maintains low residual phase noise. We attain an X- and Ku-band photonic microwave synthesizer with over an octave frequency coverage from 8 GHz to 18 GHz, frequency synthesis step of 60.74 MHz and phase noise of -80 dBc/Hz at 100 Hz offset and -100 dBc/Hz at 1 kHz offset for 10 GHz output. The characteristics of the optoelectronic sub-sampling phase detector, the phase-locking dynamics of the hybrid optoelectronic PLL, and the phase noise of the synthesized RF signals are both theoretically and experimentally investigated. The experimental results agree well with the theoretical models. Our approach is promising to achieve wideband and low phase noise microwave synthesis.

A 2–20-GHz Ultralow Phase Noise Signal Source Using a Microwave Oscillator Locked to a Mode-Locked Laser

In this article, we develop the theory of a special type of optoelectronic phase-locked loop (PLL). The output signal of this type of PLL is in the electrical domain and its reference oscillator, typically a mode-locked laser, operates in the optical domain. The PLL uses a balanced optical microwave phase detector (BOMPD). In order to model the optoelectronic PLL, the nonlinear characteristic function and the gain of the BOMPD are derived analytically. Using the results of the phase detector analysis, the theory of an optoelectronic PLL using such a phase detector is developed. Based on the theoretical analysis, a broadband optoelectronic frequency synthesizer with a programmable frequency range from 2 to 20 GHz is designed and implemented. Phase noise measurements show that the optoelectronic PLL frequency synthesizer achieves an integrated rms-jitter (1 kHz-100 MHz) of less than 4 fs in the frequency range from 5 to 20 GHz with a typical value of 4 fs and a minimum of 3 fs. This is the first reported wideband PLL frequency synthesizer achieving sub-10-fs integrated rms-jitter (1 kHz-100 MHz) in the frequency range from 3 to 20 GHz. A comparison with best-in-class laboratory-grade frequency synthesizers in this frequency range shows that this synthesizer achieves lower phase noise than any electronic frequency synthesizer for offset frequencies larger than 2 kHz.

Femtosecond Optical Laser System with Spatiotemporal Stabilization for Pump-Probe Experiments at SACLA

We constructed a synchronized femtosecond optical laser system with spatiotemporal stabilization for pump-probe experiments at SPring-8 Angstrom Compact Free Electron Laser (SACLA). Stabilization of output power and pointing has been achieved with a small fluctuation level of a few percent by controlling conditions of temperature and air-flow in the optical paths. A feedback system using a balanced optical-microwave phase detector (BOMPD) has been successfully realized to reduce jitter down to 50 fs. We demonstrated the temporal stability with a time-resolved X-ray diffraction measurement and observed the coherent phonon oscillation of the photo-excited Bi without the post-processing using the timing monitor.

2.856 GHz microwave signal extraction from mode-locked Er-fiber lasers with sub-100 femtosecond timing jitter

A balanced optical microwave phase detector (BOMPD) based on a 3 × 3 coupler is presented. This system was developed to extract ultra-low-jitter microwave signals from optical pulse trains emitted by mode-locked Er-fiber lasers, and synchronized microwave and laser systems. We demonstrate that the BOMPD achieves a precision of synchronization of less than 100 femtosecond of timing jitter. The experimental setup can be applied to the soft X-ray free-electron laser located on the campus of the Shanghai synchrotron radiation facility. A microwave signal with a 2.856 GHz frequency is extracted from a 238 MHz mode-locked Er-laser, with an absolute timing jitter of 34 fs in the 10 Hz–10 MHz frequency offset range. In addition, the microwave and 238 MHz optical pulse signals are synchronized with a relative timing jitter of 16 fs at the same frequency offset range.

Ultrahigh precision synchronization of optical and microwave frequency sources

In this paper we demonstrate that balanced optical-microwave phase detectors (BOMPD) are able to provide a robust long-term optical-RF synchronization with subfemtosecond residual timing drift over 24 hours in laboratory conditions without active temperature control of optical and electronic paths. Moreover, 10.833 GHz Sapphire-loaded cavity oscillator (SLCO) was successfully disciplined by 216.66 MHz laser oscillator using the BOMPD which resulted in a sub-femtosecond RMS jitter integrated from 1 Hz to 1 MHz.

Balanced optical-microwave phase detector for sub-femtosecond optical-RF synchronization.

We demonstrate that balanced optical-microwave phase detectors (BOMPD) are capable of optical-RF synchronization with sub-femtosecond residual timing jitter for large-scale timing distribution systems. RF-to-optical synchronization is achieved with a long-term stability of < 1 fs RMS and < 7 fs pk-pk drift for over 10 hours and short-term stability of < 2 fs RMS jitter integrated from 1 Hz to 200 kHz as well as optical-to-RF synchronization with 0.5 fs RMS jitter integrated from 1 Hz to 20 kHz. Moreover, we achieve a -161 dBc/Hz noise floor that integrates well into the sub-fs regime and measure a nominal 50-dB AM-PM suppression ratio with potential improvement via DC offset adjustment.

Suppression of amplitude-to-phase noise conversion in balanced optical-microwave phase detectors

We demonstrate an amplitude-to-phase (AM-PM) conversion coefficient for a balanced optical-microwave phase detector (BOM-PD) of 0.001 rad, corresponding to AM-PM induced phase noise 60 dB below the single-sideband relative intensity noise of the laser. This enables us to generate 8 GHz microwave signals from a commercial Er-fibre comb with a single-sideband residual phase noise of -131 dBc Hz(-1) at 1 Hz offset frequency and -148 dBc Hz(-1) at 1 kHz offset frequency.

Long-term stable microwave signal extraction from mode-locked lasers

Long-term synchronization between two 10.225 GHz microwave signals at +10 dBm power level, locked to a 44.26 MHz repetition rate passively mode-locked fiber laser, is demonstrated using balanced optical-microwave phase detectors. The out-of-loop measurement result shows 12.8 fs relative timing jitter integrated from 10 Hz to 10 MHz. Long-term timing drift measurement shows 48 fs maximum deviation over one hour, mainly limited by drift of the out-of-loop characterization setup itself. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time to demonstrate long-term (>1 hour) 3 mrad-level phase stability of a 10.225 GHz microwave signal extracted from a mode-locked laser.

Balanced optical-microwave phase detectors for optoelectronic phase-locked loops

A balanced optical-microwave phase detector for the extraction of low-jitter, high-power, and drift-free microwave signals from optical pulse trains is presented. The phase detection is based on electro-optic sampling with a differentially biased Sagnac loop. Because the timing information is transferred in the optical domain, the regenerated microwave signal is robust against drifts and photodetector nonlinearities. In a first experimental implementation, 3 fs in-loop relative timing jitter (integrated from 1 Hz to 10 MHz) between a 44 MHz optical pulse train and a 10.225 GHz microwave signal is demonstrated.