Continuous wave sub‐THz photonic generation with VCSEL‐based optical frequency comb. Issue 15 (1st July 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Prior, E.; Criado, Á.R.; de Dios, C.; Acedo, P.; Ortsiefer, M.; Meissner, P.
• Is Part Of: Electronics letters. Volume 49:Issue 15(2013)
• Page Start: 944
• Page End: 945
• Publication Date: 2013-07-01
• Subjects: amplification -- laser cavity resonators -- laser frequency stability -- laser mode locking -- laser noise -- laser tuning -- microwave photonics -- optical filters -- optical modulation -- optical switches -- phase noise -- photodiodes -- semiconductor lasers -- surface emitting lasers -- terahertz wave generation; continuous wave sub‐THz photonic generation -- VCSEL‐based optical frequency comb -- energy‐efficient photonic system -- continuously tunable low phase noise sub‐THz waves -- COTS components -- optical scheme -- commercial vertical cavity surface emitting laser -- gain switching modulation -- flat optical frequency comb generator -- OFCG -- continuous wave radiofrequency input power -- bias current -- optical injection locking -- mode filter -- mode amplification -- photodiode -- sub‐THz signal -- frequency difference -- stable tone -- laser linewidth -- current 9 mA -- frequency 88.2 GHz -- frequency 4.2 GHz; Electronics -- Periodicals; 621.381
• DOI: 10.1049/el.2013.1896
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0013-5194

Abstract

Abstract : A simple and energy‐efficient photonic system to generate continuously tunable, low phase noise, sub‐THz waves based on COTS components is presented. The optical scheme is based on the use of a commercial vertical cavity surface emitting laser under gain switching modulation that provides a very flat optical frequency comb generator (OFCG) with 23 modes in a 20 dB bandwidth. The laser only needs 15 dBm continuous wave radiofrequency input power and 9 mA of bias current to provide this OFCG. Two optical injection locking stages filter and amplify the two desired modes that are detected in a photodiode to produce the desired sub‐THz signal at the frequency difference of these two selected modes. As an example, demonstrated is the generation of a very stable 88.2 GHz tone with lower linewidth than 10 Hz using a reference of 4.2 GHz to generate the OFCG.