Novel photonic RF instantaneous frequency measurement system using a hibi fiber-based interferometer

A novel photonic RF instantaneous frequency measurement system is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. Measurements are performed considering purely sinusoidal RF signals with frequencies up to 20 GHz and different RF input powers. A peak-to-peak frequency error down to 50 MHz is achieved for an RF frequency range of 1 - 18 GHz. The trade-off between maximum measurement range and measurement sensitivity is discussed. Two solutions are proposed in order to surpass this limitation.