Chip-scale high-performance photonic microwave oscillator

Abstract

Optical frequency division based on bulk or fiber optics provides unprecedented spectral purity for microwave oscillators. To extend the applications of this approach, the challenges are to develop miniaturized oscillators without trading off phase noise performance. Here, we report a chip-scale high-performance photonic microwave oscillator based on integrated electro-optical frequency division. Dual distributed-feedback lasers are co-self-injection locked to a single silicon nitride spiral resonator to provide a record-high-stability, fully on-chip optical reference. An integrated electro-optical frequency comb based on a thin-film lithium niobate phase modulator chip is leveraged to perform optical-to-microwave frequency division. The resulting integrated photonic microwave oscillator achieves a record-low phase noise for chip-scale oscillators. The results represent a major advance in high-performance, integrated photonic microwave oscillators for applications including signal processing, radar, timing, and coherent communications.