Optoelectronic Phase-locked Loop Research Articles

Broadband High-Linear FMCW Light Source Based on Spectral Stitching

The key to realizing a high-performance frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) laser frequency-sweeping light source is how to extend the frequency-swept bandwidth and eliminate the effect of nonlinearity. To solve these issues, this paper designs a broadband high-linear FMCW frequency-sweeping light source system based on the combination of fixed temperature control and digital optoelectronic phase-locked loop (PLL), which controls the temperatures of the two lasers separately and attempts to achieve the coarse spectral stitching based on a time-division multiplexing scheme. Furthermore, we uses the PLL to correct the frequency error more specifically after the coarse stitching, which achieves the spectrum fine stitching and, meanwhile, realizes the nonlinearity correction. The experimental results show that our scheme can successfully achieve bandwidth expansion and nonlinearity correction, and the sweeping bandwidth is twice as much as that of the original single laser. The full-width half-maximum (FWHM) of the FMCW output is reduced from 150 kHz to 6.1 kHz, which exhibits excellent nonlinear correction performance. The relative error of the FMCW ranging system based on this frequency-swept light source is also reduced from 1.628% to 0.673%. Therefore, our frequency-swept light source with excellent performance has a promising application in the FMCW laser ranging system.

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.

300 GHz wave generation based on a Kerr microresonator frequency comb stabilized to a low noise microwave reference.

In this Letter, we experimentally demonstrate low noise 300 GHz wave generation based on a Kerr microresonator frequency comb operating in the soliton regime. The spectral purity of a 10 GHz GPS-disciplined dielectric resonant oscillator is transferred to the 300 GHz repetition rate frequency of the soliton comb through an optoelectronic phase-locked loop. Two adjacent comb lines beat on a uni-traveling carrier photodiode emitting the 300 GHz millimeter-wave signal into a waveguide. In an out-of-loop measurement, we measure the 300 GHz power spectral density of phase noise to be -88dBc/Hz, -105dBc/Hz at 10 kHz, and 1 MHz Fourier frequency, respectively. Phase-locking error instability reaches 2×10-15 at 1 s averaging time. Such a system provides a promising path to the realization of compact, low power consumption millimeter-wave oscillators with low noise performance for out-of-the-laboratory applications.

Heterodyne interferometry at ultra-high frequencies with frequency-offset-locked semiconductor lasers

Modern broadband telecommunications require microelectromechanical filters which mechanically vibrate at ultra-high frequencies up to several gigahertz. Heterodyne interferometers, so-called laser-Doppler vibrometers (LDVs), provide a sensitive and contactless measurement technique for vibrations in such filters, but are limited in GHz heterodyning by the efficiency drop of acousto-optic frequency shifters. Heterodyning by frequency-offset locking of two lasers in an optoelectronic phase-locked loop (OPLL) overcomes this limitation. This is demonstrated with our LDV setup with heterodyning up to via offset locking of two semiconductor lasers at visible wavelength. The experiments show a vibration-amplitude resolution of less than per for frequencies higher than up to . The bandwidth is only limited by our photodetectors. This amplitude resolution already qualifies our LDV for vibration measurement of microelectromechanical filters at ultra-high frequencies. We present a comprehensive model for the vibration-amplitude resolution of a LDV with this technique including the laser linewidths, the OPLL transfer function, and interferometer delays. The experiments with our LDV validate the model predictions from numerical simulations. Finally, we discuss the collapse of the heterodyne carrier at vanishing mutual coherence due to interferometer delays, the transition to shot-noise-limited detection, and provide design recommendations.

Ultra-long range optical frequency domain reflectometry using a coherence-enhanced highly linear frequency-swept fiber laser source.

We report on an ultra-long range optical frequency domain reflectometry (OFDR) using a coherence-enhanced highly linear frequency-swept fiber laser source based on an optoelectronic phase-locked loop (OPLL). The frequency-swept fiber laser is locked to an all-fiber-based Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) to suppress sweep nonlinearity and enhance the laser coherence, leading to a high coherence linear frequency sweep of 1 GHz in the duration time of 25 ms. This enables the OFDR to realize an ultra-long range measurement with a high spatial resolution. As a result, we obtain a 10 cm transform-limited spatial resolution at a 20 km fiber within 25 ms measurement time, and a 72 cm spatial resolution over an entire 200 km fiber link within 5 ms measurement time. The proposed reflectometry provides a high-performance solution with both high spatial resolution and ultra-long measurement range for field real-time fiber network monitoring and sensing applications.

Long-Term Stabilization of an Actively Mode-Locked Er-Doped Fiber-Ring Laser via Dynamic Intracavity Loss Feedback

We demonstrate a long-term stabilized all-fiber actively mode-locked laser (AMLL) by locking the optical pulse train to a mode locker. By dynamically controlling the bias voltage of the intracavity electrooptical modulator, we established an optoelectronic phase-locked loop and achieved long-term phase stabilization of the AMLL. With the help of an optical-microwave phase detector, sensitive phase error signal is obtained and used for the phase stabilization. With this approach, the AMLL achieved long-term stable operation, and the residual fractional frequency stability is significantly improved from 1.8 × 10−13 to 2.8 × 10−15 at 1 s and from 2.1 × 10−16 to 6.8 × 10−19 at 4000 s.

Non-linear optoelectronic phase-locked loop for stabilization of opto-millimeter waves: towards a narrow linewidth tunable THz source

We propose an optoelectronic phase-locked loop concept which enables to stabilize optical beat notes at high frequencies in the mm-wave domain. It relies on the use of a nonlinear-response Mach-Zehnder modulator. This concept is demonstrated at 100 GHz using a two-axis dual-frequency laser turned into a voltage controlled oscillator by means of an intracavity electrooptic crystal. A relative frequency stability better than 10⁻¹¹ is reported. This approach of optoelectronic down conversion opens the way to the realization of continuously tunable ultra-narrow linewidth THz radiation.

Ultrafast Phase Comparator for Phase-Locked Loop-Based Optoelectronic Clock Recovery Systems

<para xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> The authors report on a novel application of a <formula formulatype="inline"> <tex Notation="TeX">$\chi^{(2)}$</tex></formula> nonlinear optical device as an ultrafast phase comparator, an essential element that allows an optoelectronic phase-locked loop to perform clock recovery of ultrahigh-speed optical time-division multiplexed (OTDM) signals. Particular interest is devoted to a quasi-phase-matching adhered-ridge-waveguide periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) device, which shows a sufficient high temporal resolution to resolve a 640 Gbits OTDM signal. </para>

320 Gbps to 10 GHz sub-clock recovery using a PPLN-based opto-electronic phase-locked loop

We present successful extraction of a 10 GHz clock from single-wavelength 160 and 320 Gbps OTDM data streams, using an opto-electronic phase-locked loop based on three-wave mixing in periodically-poled lithium niobate as a phase comparator.

640 Gbit/s clock recovery using periodically poled lithium niobate

Pre-scaled clock recovery of a serial 640 Gbit/s data signal is demonstrated using a quasi-phase-matching periodically poled lithium niobate module as an ultrafast phase comparator in an optoelectronic phaselocked loop.

Optical Signal Processing by Phase Modulation and Subsequent Spectral Filtering Aiming at Applications to Ultrafast Optical Communication Systems

This paper describes optical signal processing based on optical phase modulation and subsequent optical filtering, which is applicable to 160-Gb/s optical time-division multiplexed (OTDM) subsystems. Ultrafast phase modulation of an optical signal is done by self-phase modulation (SPM) and cross-phase modulation (XPM) when an optical pulse passes through a nonlinear optical fiber. Such phase modulation induces the spectral shift of the optical signal. Various types of optical signal processing are realized simply by filtering out the spectral-shifted component. Using SPM-based pulse reshaping in a 500-m-long silica-based highly nonlinear fiber (HNLF), we demonstrate highly stable generation of a 10-GHz 2-ps optical pulse train tunable over the entire C band. A phase-locked loop (PLL) can suppress the slow phase drift of the output pulse train induced by fluctuations of the nonlinear fiber length, enabling the application of the pulse generator to a 160-Gb/s OTDM transmitter. Based on XPM in a 2-m-long photonic crystal fiber, optical time-division demultiplexing of 160-Gb/s optical signals is demonstrated. The long-term stability is drastically improved as compared with the device composed of a conventional silica-based HNLF, because the short fiber length reduces the phase fluctuation between the signal and control pulses. Instead of nonlinear fibers, an electrooptic modulator such as a (LN) modulator also performs the phase modulation in a more practical manner. We propose and demonstrate an optoelectronic time-division demultiplexing scheme for a 160-Gb/s OTDM signal, which consists of an LN phase modulator driven by a 40-GHz electrical clock and an optical bandpass filter (BPF). We also demonstrate base-clock recovery from a 160-Gb/s optical signal with an optoelectronic PLL. The phase comparator is simply composed of an LN phase modulator and an optical BPF, ensuring the stable and reliable operation in the 160-Gb/s receiver.

Phase Noise Analysis of Clock Recovery Based on an Optoelectronic Phase-Locked Loop

A detailed theoretical analysis of a clock-recovery (CR) scheme based on an optoelectronic phase-locked loop is presented. The analysis emphasizes the phase noise performance, taking into account the noise of the input data signal, the local voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO), and the laser employed in the loop. The effects of loop time delay and the laser transfer function are included in the stochastic differential equations describing the system, and a detailed timing jitter analysis of this type of optoelectronic CR for high-speed optical-time-division-multiplexing systems is performed. It is shown that a large loop length results in a higher timing jitter of the recovered clock signal. The impact of the loop length on the clock signal jitter can be reduced by using a low-noise VCO and a low loop filter bandwidth. Using the model, the timing jitter of the recovered optical and electrical clock signal can be evaluated. We numerically investigate the timing jitter requirements for combined electrical/optical local oscillators, in order for the recovered clock signal to have less jitter than that of the input signal. The timing jitter requirements for the free-running laser and the VCO are more relaxed for the extracted optical clock (lasers's output) signal

10-GHz clock recovery using an optoelectronic phase-locked loop based on three-wave mixing in periodically poled lithium niobate

Clock recovery is a critical function of any digital communications system. To replace the classical electronic phase-locked loops (PLLs) at higher bit rates, several all-optical or optoelectronic clock recovery methods are being studied. This letter presents an optoelectronic PLL where three-wave mixing in a periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) device provides the phase comparator. Since PPLN is passive, it generates no amplified spontaneous emission noise; also, the error signal is in the visible (763 nm), therefore easily separated from infrared input signals. Clock recovery is performed on a 10-GHz sinusoidal optical signal. Being based on ultrafast nonlinear effects, this scheme should be able to reach still higher bit rates, on the order of several hundred gigahertz. Also, subclock extraction (e.g., 40-to-10 GHz) should be possible without modifications.

Millimeter-Wave Generation Through Phase-Locking of Two Modulation Sidebands of a Pair of Laser Diodes

In this letter, a novel scheme has been proposed for the generation of tunable millimeter (mm)-wave signals by optical mixing of two coherent lightwaves from two semiconductor lasers in a wide-band photodiode. The coherency of the two laser diodes (LDs) is achieved through phase-locking of two modulation sidebands, one from each LD, in an optoelectronic phase-locked loop (OEPLL). Calculated mm-wave power at a frequency of 250 GHz is -20 dBm. By varying the power and frequency of the microwave drive applied to the optical phase modulator in the OEPLL, the frequency of the generated mm-wave signal can be varied over a wide range.

TERAHERTZ BANDWIDTH OPTICAL COMB GENERATION USING OPTOELECTRONIC PHASE-LOCKED LOOP

This paper proposes a THz bandwidth optical comb generation scheme by phase modulating two optical carriers simultaneously in an electrooptic overdriven phase modulator. The frequency difference between the two optical carriers is maintained constant by using an optoelectronic phase locked loop (OEPLL). It has been shown analytically that taking a microwave drive frequency of 25 GHz, 41 comb lines, lying within a power envelope of 20 dB, span over a frequency bandwidth of 1 THz with a comb line spacing of 25 GHz.

Demonstration and optimization of an optoelectronic phase-locked phase shifter for optical microwave signals

We demonstrate the tracking and continuous tuning of the relative phase difference between the free-running microwave clock and the optically distributed microwave signals from laser diode by using a modified optoelectronic phase shifter (OEPS). This is implemented by using a voltage-controlled optoelectronic digital phase-locked loop. The maximum phase deviation is up to 340/spl deg/ under the change in controlling voltage of 4.8 V, which is completely independent of operating frequency. A linear transferred function of the OEPS with responsivity of 69/spl deg//V was measured. The resolution and phase fluctuation of the OEPS can he as small as 0.2/spl deg/ and 0.05/spl deg/, respectively.

Optoelectronic phase-locked loop with balanced photodetection for clock recovery in high-speed optical time-division-multiplexed systems

An optoelectronic phase-locked loop (PLL) for clock recovery in high-speed optical time-division-multiplexed (OTDM) systems is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. The proposed scheme incorporates a pair of balanced photodetector through which the polarity ambiguity in error signal is resolved, and the cancellation of laser noise enables clock recovery with low timing jitter. Using an electroabsorption modulator as a phase detector, a 10-GHz clock signal with root-mean-square (rms) timing jitter of 300 fs is successfully extracted from 40 and 80 Gb/s return-to-zero (RZ) data stream. A 40- to 10-Gb/s demultiplexing is performed by using the recovered clock signal with no penalty introduced in the bit error rate performance.