Wideband and frequency-tunable microwave generation using an optoelectronic oscillator incorporating a Fabry–Perot laser diode with external optical injection

Abstract

Wideband and frequency-tunable microwave signal generation using an optoelectronic oscillator incorporating a Fabry-Perot laser diode (FP-LD) with external optical injection is proposed and demonstrated. Through external injection, the FP-LD functions as a tunable high-Q photonic microwave filter, and the frequency tuning is realized by either tuning the wavelength of the externally injected optical light or changing the temperature to adjust the longitudinal modes of the FP-LD. An experiment is performed; a microwave signal with a frequency tunable from 6.41 to 10.85 GHz is generated. The phase noise performance of the generated microwave signal is also investigated.