Study on filterless frequency-tupling millimeter-wave generator with tunable optical carrier to sideband ratio

Abstract In this study, two filterless frequency-tupling millimeter-wave (mm-wave) generator schemes are theoretically analyzed and verified by simulation. The first one is a frequency 12-tupler, made by a dual-parallel Mach–Zehnder modulator (DP-MZM), capable of generating the six-order optical harmonic, directly. The second one is a frequency 36-tupler, consisted by the proposed frequency 12-tupler and an optical remodulator, which can utilize the six-order optical harmonic to generate frequency 36-tupling mm-wave signal and adjust the optical carrier to sideband ratio (OCSR) of the generated optical signal. The simulations show that without any filter, two frequency-tupling schemes both with good frequency tunability. By turning the RF driving signal from 5 GHz to 8 GHz, the frequency 12-tupler, with the frequency ranging from 60 to 96 GHz can be obtained, and the optical sideband suppression ratio (OSSR) and the electrical spurious suppression ratio (ESSR) is over 37 dB and 36 dB, respectively. With the RF driving signal varying from 1.75 GHz to 3.25 GHz, a wideband mm-wave signals with the frequency ranging from 63 GHz to 117 GHz will generated by the frequency 36-tupler, the OSSR and ESSR is over 28 dB and 23 dB, respectively. Moreover, with careful adjusting the gain of remodulator, the OCSR of the mm-wave signal generated by the frequency 36-tupler can be continuous turning from 4.1 dB to 44.1 dB and the transmission performance of the proposed schemes based radio-over-fiber downlink system is also demonstrated.

[1]  Ke Wu,et al.  Phase-Noise Analysis of Optically Generated Millimeter-Wave Signals With External Optical Modulation Techniques , 2006, Journal of Lightwave Technology.

[2]  P Bouyer,et al.  Microwave signal generation with optical injection locking. , 1996, Optics letters.

[3]  A. Wiberg,et al.  Microwave-photonic frequency multiplication utilizing optical four-wave mixing and fiber Bragg gratings , 2006, Journal of Lightwave Technology.

[4]  R. Brown,et al.  High frequency Gunn oscillators , 1972 .

[5]  Performance analysis of an optical single sideband modulation approach with tunable optical carrier-to-sideband ratio , 2013 .

[6]  Shuiying Xiang,et al.  Microwave Generation With Photonic Frequency Sextupling Based on Cascaded Modulators , 2014, IEEE Photonics Technology Letters.

[7]  Junqiang Sun,et al.  Simplified optical millimeter-wave generation configuration based on frequency octupling , 2014 .

[8]  Chongxiu Yu,et al.  Transmission performance of the optical mm-wave generated by double-sideband intensity-modulation , 2007 .

[9]  Chang-Soo Park,et al.  Photonic Frequency Upconversion by SBS-Based Frequency Tripling , 2007, Journal of Lightwave Technology.

[10]  Sien Chi,et al.  W-band vector signal generation via optical millimeter-wave generation and direct modulation of NBUTC-PD , 2009, 2009 Conference on Optical Fiber Communication - incudes post deadline papers.

[12]  A. Seeds,et al.  High-performance phase locking of wide linewidth semiconductor lasers by combined use of optical injection locking and optical phase-lock loop , 1999 .

[13]  T. Berceli,et al.  Microwave Generation by Optical Techniques - A Review , 2006, 2006 European Microwave Conference.

[14]  Sien Chi,et al.  Generation of optical millimeter-wave signals and vector formats using an integrated optical I/Q modulator [Invited] , 2009 .