Title :
Millimeter-wave signal generation from a monolithic semiconductor laser via subharmonic optical injection
Author :
Wen, Yang Jing ; Liu, Hai Feng ; Novak, Dalma ; Ogawa, Yoh
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Electr. & Electron. Eng., Melbourne Univ., Parkville, Vic., Australia
Abstract :
A new technique for generating millimeter-wave (mm-wave) signals from a semiconductor laser without an intracavity saturable absorber, is presented, The method multiplies the signal frequency by using optical injection of short optical pulses at a subharmonic of the cavity round-trip frequency to drive the laser oscillating at its resonant frequency. A 34.64 GHz signal is generated using a multisection semiconductor laser operated under continuous wave conditions, by injecting optical pulses at a repetition rate equal to the fourth subharmonic (8.66 GHz). The generated millimeter-wave signal exhibits a large subharmonic suppression ratio (>17 dB), large frequency detuning range (>300 MHz), low levels of phase-noise (-77.5 dBc/Hz), and large locking range (>400 MHz).
Keywords :
laser cavity resonators; laser noise; laser tuning; microwave photonics; millimetre wave generation; optical transmitters; semiconductor lasers; 34.64 GHz; cavity round-trip frequency; fourth subharmonic; injecting optical pulses; intracavity saturable absorber; large frequency detuning range; large locking range; large subharmonic suppression ratio; low levels; millimeter-wave signal generation; monolithic semiconductor laser; multisection semiconductor laser; optical injection; phase-noise; resonant frequency; short optical pulses; subharmonic; subharmonic optical injection; Frequency; High speed optical techniques; Laser mode locking; Laser modes; Millimeter wave technology; Optical pulse generation; Optical pulses; Pump lasers; Semiconductor lasers; Signal generators;
Journal_Title :
Photonics Technology Letters, IEEE
