Microwave Signal Generation Using Self-Heterodyning of a Fast Wavelength Switching SG-DBR Laser

Abstract

Millimeter wave difference frequencies are easily available from the SG-DBR.Temperature robustness of SG-DBR self-heterodyne signals was also investigated. While each laser wavelength by itself changes by 0.12 nm/C (21 GHz/C), the difference frequency temperature coefficient is well less than 30MHz/C typically.

Time-Resolved Optical Spectroscopy for Laser Chirp Characterization and Self-Heterodyne Generation of LFM and NLFM Microwave Pulses

“…Due to the increasing number of research dedicated to photonic generation of microwave waveforms, six categories [31,37] were elected to divide the main works in the area: 1) Direct space-to-time (DST) mapping; 2) Spectral-shaping and wavelength-to-time (SS-WTT) mapping; 3) External modulation technique; 4) Microwave delay-line filter; 5) Dual-wavelength single-longitudinal-mode; and 6) Self-heterodyning. This section presents an overview of techniques 1 to 5.…”

“…A year after Kovács work, Bernacil and co-workers have used a fast wavelength switching Sampled-grating Distributed Bragg Reflector (SG-DBR) tunable laser in a self-heterodyne scheme for microwave generation [37]. The phase section of the SG-DBR was modulated with a square wave current, and the MZI time delay was chosen to correspond to half of the modulation period.…”