Advanced interferometric phase and amplitude noise measurements

The measurement of the close-to-the-carrier noise of two-port radio frequency and microwave devices is a relevant issue in time and frequency metrology and in some fields of electronics, physics, and optics. While phase noise is the main concern, amplitude noise is often of interest. Presently the highest sensitivity is achieved with the interferometric method, that consists of the amplification and synchronous detection of the noise sidebands after suppressing the carrier by vector subtraction of an equal signal. A substantial progress in understanding the flicker noise mechanism of the interferometer results in new schemes that improve by 20–30 dB the sensitivity at low Fourier frequencies. These schemes, based on two or three nested interferometers and vector detection of noise, also feature closed-loop carrier suppression control, simplified calibration, and intrinsically high immunity to mechanical vibrations. This article provides the complete theory and detailed design criteria, and reports on the ...

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