Slab-Coupled Optical Waveguide (SCOW) Optoelectronic Oscillator (OEO) Systems

W. Loh, S. Yegnanarayanan, J. J. Plant, J. Klamkin, S. Madison, F. J. O’Donnell, R. J. Ram, and P. W. Juodawlkis

Abstract:	We report on optoelectronic oscillator (OEO) and coupled optoelectronic oscillator (COEO) systems demonstrated using slab-coupled optical waveguide (SCOW) components for generation of low-noise microwave signals. The OEO employs a high-power, low-noise, narrow linewidth SCOW external cavity laser (SCOWECL) as the optical source, and the COEO uses a low noise SCOW amplifier (SCOWA). High-power, low-noise sources are beneficial for pristine signal generation as the relative intensity noise (RIN) of the optical signal limits the phase-noise of the derived microwave tone. The OEO configuration uses a variable confinement SCOW photodiode (VC-SCOWPD) for signal conversion into the microwave, while initial demonstrations of the SCOW-COEO have used a commercial high-power photodiode. The combination of a high-power SCOWECL and high-power VC-SCOWPD enable the SCOW-OEO to reach oscillation without the use of RF amplification. Using 1.5 km of delay, an OEO operating at 3-GHz carrier frequency demonstrated a phase-noise of -143 dBc/Hz at 10 kHz offset. The SCOW-OEO performance is primarily limited by amplitude-phase noise conversion processes in the photodiode. We also describe measurements on a preliminary 10-GHz SCOW-COEO employing 250 m of delay. The SCOW-COEO exhibited a phase-noise of -134 dBc/Hz at 10 kHz offset frequency with sidemode levels less than -127 dBc/Hz.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 43rd Annual Precise Time and Time Interval Systems and Applications Meeting November 14 - 17, 2011 Hyatt Regency Long Beach Long Beach, California
Pages:	363 - 376
Cite this article:	Loh, W., Yegnanarayanan, S., Plant, J. J., Klamkin, J., Madison, S., O’Donnell, F. J., Ram, R. J., Juodawlkis, P. W., "Slab-Coupled Optical Waveguide (SCOW) Optoelectronic Oscillator (OEO) Systems," Proceedings of the 43rd Annual Precise Time and Time Interval Systems and Applications Meeting, Long Beach, California, November 2011, pp. 363-376.
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