Frequency Down-conversion Research Articles

A wideband terahertz high-Tc superconducting Josephson-junction mixer: electromagnetic design, analysis and characterization

This paper presents a wideband terahertz (THz) mixer based on a thin-film antenna-coupled high-temperature superconducting (HTS) YBa2Cu3O7−x (YBCO) step-edge Josephson junction. The HTS mixer enables the flexible harmonic mixing operation at multiple THz bands with the same microwave local oscillator (LO) source, and features very wide intermediate-frequency or instantaneous bandwidth. In order to optimize the frequency down-conversion performance of the mixer, systematic electromagnetic design and analysis have been carried out to improve the power coupling of THz radiation as well as wideband transmission of microwave signals. Experimental characterization of a fabricated device prototype has demonstrated that the mixer exhibits good performance at both the 200 GHz and 600 GHz bands. Detailed measurement results including the DC characteristics, LO pumping requirement, frequency response, mixing linearity and conversion gain are presented in this paper.

Image-Free Microwave Photonic Down-Conversion Approach for Fiber-Optic Antenna Remoting

For commercial and military applications, it is highly desired to acquire broadband radio frequency (RF) signals from remotely located receiving antennas to the central office (CO) for centralized signal processing such as down-conversion. In this paper, a photonic approach for image-free microwave frequency down-conversion is proposed for antenna remoting scenarios. The RF signal is captured by the phase modulator (PM) at remote antenna unit and transmitted over a long fiber link to the CO for performing frequency down-conversion. In analog, with the Hartley architecture in the electronic domain, two in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) intermediate frequency (IF) components are generated by using an electro-optic polarization modulator (PolM) and two polarizers. To achieve large image rejection ratio (IRR), the digital post-processing technique is introduced to accurately compensate the amplitude and phase imbalances between the I and Q IF signals. In the experiments, a 2-km single-mode fiber link is inserted between the PM and PolM. As the local oscillator signals are set as 35 and 3 GHz, two target sinusoidal signals at 35.5 and 3.1 GHz are applied with two image signals, a sinusoidal signal at 34.5 GHz and a broadband RF signal centered at 2.9 GHz, respectively. Then, both real-time analog and off-line digital processing methods are used to process the generated I and Q IF signals for image rejection, yielding an IRR over 45 and 60 dB respectively, when the sinusoidal image signal is applied. The distortions from the broadband 2.9-GHz image RF signal are also effectively suppressed by using the two processing methods. The proposed approach is capable of covering a wide frequency range from 5 to 40 GHz.

Low-loss orientation-patterned GaSb waveguides for mid-infrared parametric conversion

We design and demonstrate newcomers in the field of frequency down-converters based on quasi-phase matching: low-loss orientation-patterned gallium antimonide ridge waveguides suited to parametric conversion from pumping lasers around 2 µm to mid-infrared wavelengths around 4 µm. Thanks to careful control of the epitaxial growth conditions including low N-type doping and to an optimized dry etching process, losses as low as 0.7 dB/cm at 2 µm and 1.1 dB/cm at 4 µm are obtained.

Experimental Investigation of a Broadband High-Temperature Superconducting Terahertz Mixer Operating at Temperatures Between 40 and 77 K

This paper presents a systematic investigation of a broadband thin-film antenna-coupled high-temperature superconducting (HTS) terahertz (THz) harmonic mixer at relatively high operating temperature from 40 to 77 K. The mixer device chip was fabricated using the CSIRO established step-edge YBa2Cu3O7-x (YBCO) Josephson junction technology, packaged in a well-designed module and cooled in a temperature adjustable cryocooler. Detailed experimental characterizations were carried out for the broadband HTS mixer at both the 200 and 600 GHz bands in harmonic mixing mode. The DC current-voltage characteristics (IVCs), bias current condition, local oscillator (LO) power requirement, frequency response, as well as conversion efficiency under different bath temperatures were thoroughly investigated for demonstrating the frequency down-conversion performance.

Generation of megahertz-band spin currents using nonlinear spin pumping

Spin pumping enables the generation of d.c. and gigahertz-band (GHz-band) voltages from an applied microwave via magnetization dynamics when combined with inverse spin Hall effects. However, generating such voltages in the in-between frequency region, or the megahertz (MHz) band, has been difficult since ferromagnetic resonance usually occurs in the GHz band. Here we show that in spite of GHz-band microwaves applied, MHz-band voltages can be generated by spin pumping with use of nonlinear magnetization dynamics in Y3Fe5O12. The mechanism is ascribed to the MHz-band oscillation of the amplitude of the magnetization precession, which is projected onto a rectified voltage component via spin pumping. The present finding could be useful for frequency down-conversion thanks to the simple and durable structure, continuous-wave operation, and the tunability of an output frequency with low magnetic fields.

Coherent frequency down-conversions and entanglement generation in a Sagnac interferometer.

A waveguide loop coupled to two external line waveguides by a 50/50 beam splitter forms a Sagnac interferometer. We consider the situation where two Λ-type three-level emitters are symmetrically coupled to the loop of a Sagnac interferometer and a single photon is input through one end of the line waveguides. Since the incoming photon is always in a superposition of the clockwise and counterclockwise modes of the loop and the two emitters are positioned symmetrically with respect to the input port of photon, the processes of photon scattering at the two emitters are symmetric and coherent. When the separation of the emitters and the coupling strengths of the emitters with the waveguide loop take some special values, due to quantum interference, a frequency down-conversion can certainly happen at one of the two emitters during the photon scattering but one cannot know at which emitter the frequency down-conversion takes place. This indistinguishability of the coherent frequency down-conversion processes can result in the generation of the symmetric or antisymmetric two-qubit maximally entangled states of the emitters. In the present scheme, a single photon comes in and goes out of the waveguide loop, and no photon localization modes exists. The entangled states result from the coherent frequency down-conversion processes of the emitters. Thus, the resulting entangled states are stable if the two lower-lying states of the emitters have no decay. We also investigate the influence of the dissipation of the emitters and the finite bandwidth of an input photon wavepacket on the success probability of entanglement generation, and find that the present scheme is robust to these effects and feasible with current available technologies.

Harmonic Mixing Using a HTS Step-Edge Josephson Junction at 0.6 THz Frequency

A high-temperature superconducting (HTS) terahertz (THz) heterodyne mixer based on a thin-film antenna-coupled YBa 2Cu3O7− x step-edge Josephson junction is presented. The frequency down-conversion from 0.6 THz to an intermediate frequency (IF) of 2 GHz was achieved using high-order harmonic mixing of a local oscillator (LO), thus removing the need to use a second THz source as the LO pumping source. The DC and RF characteristics of the harmonic mixer as well as the relationship of the IF output power versus the harmonic number were experimentally studied and compared with simulated results. Most of our measurements were made at 40 K, but we also observed stable harmonic mixing at 77 K which we believe has not been reported previously in HTS junction mixers.

Single-chip electron spin resonance detectors operating at 50 GHz, 92 GHz, and 146 GHz

We report on the design and characterization of single-chip electron spin resonance (ESR) detectors operating at 50GHz, 92GHz, and 146GHz. The core of the single-chip ESR detectors is an integrated LC-oscillator, formed by a single turn aluminum planar coil, a metal-oxide-metal capacitor, and two metal-oxide semiconductor field effect transistors used as negative resistance network. On the same chip, a second, nominally identical, LC-oscillator together with a mixer and an output buffer are also integrated. Thanks to the slightly asymmetric capacitance of the mixer inputs, a signal at a few hundreds of MHz is obtained at the output of the mixer. The mixer is used for frequency down-conversion, with the aim to obtain an output signal at a frequency easily manageable off-chip. The coil diameters are 120μm, 70μm, and 45μm for the U-band, W-band, and the D-band oscillators, respectively. The experimental frequency noises at 100kHz offset from the carrier are 90Hz/Hz1/2, 300Hz/Hz1/2, and 700Hz/Hz1/2 at 300K, respectively. The ESR spectra are obtained by measuring the frequency variations of the single-chip oscillators as a function of the applied magnetic field. The experimental spin sensitivities, as measured with a sample of α,γ-bisdiphenylene-β-phenylallyl (BDPA)/benzene complex, are 1×108spins/Hz1/2, 4×107spins/Hz1/2, 2×107spins/Hz1/2 at 300K, respectively. We also show the possibility to perform experiments up to 360GHz by means of the higher harmonics in the microwave field produced by the integrated single-chip LC-oscillators.

All-optical, ultra-wideband microwave I/Q mixer and image-reject frequency down-converter.

An all-optical and ultra-wideband microwave in-phase/quadrature (I/Q) mixer, based on a dual-parallel Mach-Zehnder modulator and a wavelength division multiplexer, is proposed. Due to the simultaneous frequency down-conversion and 360-deg tunable phase shifting in the optical domain, the proposed I/Q mixer has the advantages of high conversion gain and excellent quadrature phase balance (<±1.3 deg⁡) with a wide operating frequency from 10 to 40GHz. Assisted by an analog or digital intermediate-frequency quadrature coupler, an image-reject frequency down-converter is then implemented, with an image rejection exceeding 50dB over the working band.

Mid-infrared transmitter and receiver modules for free-space optical communication.

We report on the experimental implementation of single-frequency fiber-laser pumped mid-infrared (mid-IR) transmitter and receiver modules for free-space communications. These modules enable frequency upconversion and downconversion between the 1550-nm telecom wavelength and the mid-IR, thus providing essential free-space transmission links with mid-IR single-frequency lasers in the 3.6 μm region. Specifically, based on difference frequency generation (DFG) in MgO-doped periodically poled LiNbO3 (MgO:PPLN), the mid-IR transmitter produces 9.3-mW power at 3594 nm with 5-W pump power at 1083 nm (<10 kHz linewidth) and 3-W signal power at 1550 nm (<10 kHz linewidth), and the mid-IR receiver reproduces 12-μW power at 1550 nm with 4.7-W pump power at 1083 nm and 5-mW laser at 3594 nm. The whole modules are integrated into portable and compact devices by incorporating single-frequency fiber lasers, fiber amplifiers, DFG units, and related electronic circuits. In addition, the uses of all polarization-maintaining fiber configuration and well-controlled heat dissipation make the mid-IR transmitter and receiver exhibit a long-term stability.

Polarization conversion in cubic Raman crystals

Nonlinear conversion of unpolarized beams to lower frequencies is generally inefficient in c(2) materials, as it is challenging to achieve phase-matching for input ordinary and extraordinary beams simultaneously in the normal dispersion regime. Here, we show that cubic Raman crystals having doubly and triply degenerate (E and F type) modes provide a method for efficient nonlinear frequency downconversion of an unpolarized beam and yield a linearly polarized output state. Using Mueller calculus, optimal crystal directions for such polarization conversion are determined. Using diamond, an example of an F-class Raman crystal, we have verified that such conversion is possible with near quantum-defect-limited slope efficiency and a linear polarization contrast of more than 23.9 dB.

Dual-parallel Mach-Zehnder modulator based microwave photonic down-conversion link with high dynamic range

With the rapid development of the microwave photonic communication technology, the frequency of the microwave signal is expanded to the Ka waveband, since most of low frequency bands are occupied. However, the current commercial detectors and signal processing modules are limited by bandwidth. Therefore, the traditional method of directly detecting the microwave signals cannot meet the actual demands. It is essential to achieve the microwave photonic down-conversion from the high frequency microwave signal (~10 GHz) to the lower frequency signal (~100 MHz). Meanwhile, the down-conversion low frequency signal can be processed by the existing mature technology and low cost devices. The microwave down-conversion link can effectively avoid leaking the local oscillator, and it possesses many advantages such as high bandwidth and spurious free dynamic range, low loss and low noise. In this paper, a microwave photonic down-conversion system is presented based on the integrated dual-parallel Mach-Zehnder modulator (DPMZM) to increase the spurious-free dynamic range as well as conversion efficient of microwave photonic link. The integrated DPMZM is mainly comprised of two intensity modulators (MZM-a and MZM-b), and a phase shifter. The radio frequency (RF) signal is loaded into DPMZM to modulate the optical signal. The local oscillator is loaded into the MZM-a to produce the 1st local oscillator sideband, and two RF signals are fed to the MZM-b to form the 1st RF signal sideband. The direct current bias of the DPMZM is adjusted to output a high carrier suppressed double sideband (DSB) signal. The erbium-doped fiber amplifier is used to increase the power of light to match the power range of the detector. The RF signal sideband and local oscillator sideband are mixed to produce the beat frequency, and the frequency down-conversion can be achieved. The principle of frequency down-conversion is elaborated by theoretical analysis. The conversion efficiency and spurious free dynamic range are analyzed and simulated. On this basis, the microwave photonic link of frequency down-conversion is built. The performance of the system is tested. The ratio of optical carrier power to sideband power of the DSB signal is 26 dB. The experimental result shows that the conversion efficiency is 7.43 dB and spurious-free dynamic range is 110.85 dB/Hz2/3. The down-conversion method based on the DPMZM can optimize the output spectrum of the sideband. The structure of system is simple and easy to implement, so it is a good option for improving the conversion efficiency and spurious-free dynamic range.

Frequency conversion with nonlinear graphene photodetectors

Frequency conversion with nonlinear electronic components, a common approach for signal processing required in various communication applications, has found its operation bandwidth bottleneck due to the limited carrier mobility of the traditional materials. Meanwhile, fiber-optics communications are playing a significant role in communication services due to their excellent signal transmission properties. However, the transmitted optical signals had to be converted to electrical signals with photodetectors before frequency conversion was performed through conventional electronic devices, which make this conversion system very complex and costly. Hence, to develop a compact device that can achieve the photodetection and frequency conversion functions simultaneously is critical and significative. Here, we have proposed a novel concept for frequency conversion and demonstrated a nonlinear graphene photodetector based frequency converter that performs frequency conversion from optical signals directly. With this new concept, a frequency doubling signal at 4 GHz was obtained from a 2 GHz intensity-modulated optical signal. Moreover, using a 10 MHz intensity-modulated optical signal and another 3 GHz intensity-modulated optical signal, we show the frequency up-conversion to 3 ± 0.01 GHz. In particular, the frequency down-conversion to 100 MHz was achieved successfully by using a 2 GHz intensity-modulated optical signal and another 2.1 GHz intensity-modulated optical signal. Considering the broadband optical absorption, strong saturable absorption, high carrier mobility, and short photogenerated carrier lifetime of the graphene material, graphene photodetectors have the potential to achieve the frequency conversion of millimeter-wave band, which will open promising prospects in the domain of microwave photonics for next-gen communication systems.

Origin and suppression of back conversion in a phase-matched nonlinear frequency down-conversion process

Back conversion is an intrinsic phenomenon in nonlinear frequency down-conversion processes. However, the physical reason for its occurrence is not well understood. Here, we theoretically reveal that back conversion is the result of a π-phase jump associated with the depletion of one interacting wave. By suppressing the idler phase jump through a deliberate crystal absorption, the back conversion can be inhabited, thus enhancing the conversion efficiency from the pump to the signal. The results presented in this Letter will further the understanding of nonlinear parametric processes and pave the way toward the design of highly efficient down-conversion systems.

Contact-Type Damage Detection in a Plate Structure Based on Frequency Down-Conversion of Acoustic Waves

Contact-Type Damage Detection in a Plate Structure Based on Frequency Down-Conversion of Acoustic Waves

Photonic Frequency Down-Converter based on a Frequency-Doubling OEO using Two Cascaded EAMs

A photonic frequency down-converter based on a frequency-doubling optoelectronic oscillator (OEO) using two cascaded electro-absorption modulators (EAMs) is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. The use of the two cascaded EAMs allows the OEO feedback loop used to generate the local oscillator (LO) signal and the down-conversion section to be structurally isolated, so that the proposed photonic frequency down-converter has high RF to LO isolation. The phase noise of the frequency-doubled 20-GHz LO signal and that of the down-converted 3-GHz IF signal were measured to be −97.80 and −95.32 dBc/Hz at an offset frequency of 10 kHz, respectively. The spurious free dynamic range measured using a two-tone test was 87.02 dB $\cdot $ Hz2/3. The bit error rate performance was also investigated with a 20-GHz RF signal modulated by 1.25 Gb/s data.

Frequency downconversion of an amplified, full-open cavity random fiber laser

Frequency downconversion of an amplified, full-open cavity random fiber laser

Digital coherent receiver based transmitter penalty characterization.

For optical communications links where receivers are signal-power-starved, such as through free-space, it is important to design transmitters and receivers that can operate as close as practically possible to theoretical limits. A total system penalty is typically assessed in terms of how far the end-to-end bit-error rate (BER) is from these limits. It is desirable, but usually difficult, to determine the division of this penalty between the transmitter and receiver. This paper describes a new rigorous and computationally based method that isolates which portion of the penalty can be assessed against the transmitter. There are two basic parts to this approach: (1) use of a coherent optical receiver to perform frequency down-conversion of a transmitter's optical signal waveform to the electrical domain, preserving both optical field amplitude and phase information, and (2): software-based analysis of the digitized electrical waveform. The result is a single numerical metric that quantifies how close a transmitter's signal waveform is to the ideal, based on its BER performance with a perfect software-defined matched-filter receiver demodulator. A detailed description of applying the proposed methodology to the waveform characterization of an optical burst-mode differential phase-shifted keying (DPSK) transmitter is experimentally demonstrated.

HTS step-edge Josephson junction terahertz harmonic mixer

A high-temperature superconducting (HTS) terahertz (THz) frequency down-converter or mixer based on a thin-film ring-slot antenna coupled YBa2Cu3O7–x (YBCO)/MgO step-edge Josephson junction is reported. The frequency down-conversion was achieved using higher order harmonics of an applied lower frequency (19–40 GHz) local oscillator signal in the Josephson junction mixing with a THz signal of over 600 GHz, producing a 1–3 GHz intermediate frequency signal. Up to 31st order of harmonic mixing was obtained and the mixer operated stably at temperatures up to 77 K. The design details of the antenna, HTS Josephson junction mixer, the matching and isolation circuits, and the DC and RF performance evaluation are described in this paper.

Giant frequency down-conversion of the dancing acoustic bubble.

We have demonstrated experimentally the existence of a giant frequency down-conversion of the translational oscillatory motion of individual submillimeter acoustic bubbles in water in the presence of a high frequency (500 kHz) ultrasonic standing wave. The frequency of the translational oscillations (~170 Hz) is more than three orders of magnitude smaller than that of the driving acoustic wave. We elucidate the mechanism of this very slow oscillation with an analytical model leading to an equation of translational motion of a bubble taking the form of Mathieu’s equation. This equation illuminates the origin of the giant down conversion in frequency as arising from an unstable equilibrium. We also show that bubbles that form chains along the direction of the acoustic standing wave due to radiation interaction forces exhibit also translation oscillations that form a spectral band. This band extends approximately from 130 Hz up to nearly 370 Hz, a frequency range that is still at least three orders of magnitude lower than the frequency of the driving acoustic wave.