Multiplexed Optical Fiber Interferometric Sensor System by Synthesis of Optical Coherence Function with Phase Generated Carrier

A novel system for multiplexed optical fiber interferometric sensors is proposed applying the synthesis of optical coherence function with phase generated carriers. The ideal parameters of the laser diode frequency modulation for the phase generated carrier with the synthesis of the optical coherence function are discussed. A basic experimental setup including two interferometric sensors is constructed. The results show that the phase signal from the two sensors can successfully be demultiplexed by scanning the synthesized coherence peak.     

New speckle control technique using high-speed electro-optic modulators with resonant electrode and polarization-reversed structures

We propose a new technique for reducing speckle noise in laser displays utilizing a high-speed optical phase modulator for expanding the laser beam spectrum. By adopting standing-wave resonant electrodes and polarization-reversed structures to LiTaO₃ electro-optic modulators, high-efficiency phase modulation with a large modulation index at high microwave frequency ranges is obtainable for different color laser beams at the same time. This enables us to expand laser spectra to over 100 GHz and reduce speckle noise. The device design, fabrication, and experimental demonstration for speckle control are reported.     

Characterization of 60 GHz Multi Quantum well passively mode-locked laser under optical self-injection locking

The quality and pulse compression of the 60 GHz millimeter wave signals generated by 750 μm long InAlGaAs Multi Quantum Well (MQW) passively mode locked laser under free running and optical self-injection locked conditions are experimentally characterized in terms of longitudinal modes under certain bias currents that range from 24 mA to 90 mA. Initially, the MQW laser is characterized in free running condition with no external injection. The measurements reflect that the free spectral range of laser under test is around 61 GHz and exhibit more than 22 lasing modes. The laser is then integrated into low phase noise self-injection locking oscillator by feeding a part of output RF signal back into the laser cavity to enhance passive mode locking. By doing so the microwave line width of our laser is reduced from 900 kHz to 24 kHz with significant increase in output of resultant beat tones which exhibits strong passive mode locking. This is the first time that the free running microwave line width of MQW laser is reduced up to this level. It is evident from our experimental investigation that as we increase the power and phase correlation between different longitudinal modes inside laser cavity through optical self-injection, the strength of the passively mode locked mechanism is significantly increased and the phase noise of radio frequency signal is drastically reduced.     

高斯白噪声相位调制的激光光谱展宽

激光器是现代光学中一种常用的光源,分析其谱宽特性对于激光的研究具有重要意义.由于高性能窄线宽激光的半高全宽通常在几十M Hz以内,难以直接满足宽光谱领域的应用需求,因而无法发挥其在成本和性能方面的优势,这在一定程度上限制了激光的发展.如果在激光内部直接进行调制实现线宽展宽,又会导致频率的严重漂移,破坏稳频特性.为了在激...     

Idler-free photonic microwave mixer using a broadband optical source and cascaded phase modulators

A method of all-optical microwave mixing and bandpass filtering is proposed to achieve idler-free RF frequency conversion based on cascaded phase modulation of a broadband optical source. The variable optical carrier time-shift method is employed to selectively generate the desired RF mixing components and highly suppress the other idler frequencies. An experimental system that can perform idler-free fundamental and harmonic RF upconversions is demonstrated, and the conversion efficiency is investigated both theoretically and experimentally.     

Generation of 10-GHz ultra-short pulses with low time jitter in an actively mode-locked fiber laser

We have experimentally achieved the 8.3-ps ultra-short pulse at 10 GHz repetition rate with the time jitter as low as 590 fs in an actively mode-locked fiber ring laser. The ring-cavity laser is mode-locked by a semiconductor optical amplifier based on cross-gain modulation. The external CW source is modulated with radio frequency signal by an amplitude modulator as the external optical pulses and, then, injected into the fiber ring cavity to achieve active mode locking. Further investigating the laser output characteristics, it indicates that the linewidth of employed CW source affects properties of the generated ultra-short pulse, such as phase noise and time jitter. Ultra-short pulse at high repetition rate with low time jitter can be generated by the optimization of CW laser source.     

Development and Performance Analysis of a Photonics-Assisted RF Converter for 5G Applications

This article presents a simple, ultra-wideband and tunable radiofrequency (RF) converter for 5G cellular networks. The proposed optoelectronic device performs broadband photonics-assisted upconversion and downconversion using a single optical modulator. Experimental results demonstrate RF conversion from DC to millimeter waves, including 28 and 38 GHz that are potential frequency bands for 5G applications. Narrow linewidth and low phase noise characteristics are observed in all generated RF carriers. An experimental digital performance analysis using different modulation schemes illustrates the applicability of the proposed photonics-based device in reconfigurable optical wireless communications.     

Laser phase and frequency stabilization using an optical resonator

We describe a new and highly effective optical frequency discriminator and laser stabilization system based on signals reflected from a stable Fabry-Perot reference interferometer. High sensitivity for detection of resonance information is achieved by optical heterodyne detection with sidebands produced by rf phase modulation. Physical, optical, and electronic aspects of this discriminator/laser frequency stabilization system are considered in detail. We show that a high-speed domain exists in which the system responds to the phase (rather than frequency) change of the laser; thus with suitable design the servo loop bandwidth is not limited by the cavity response time. We report diagnostic experiments in which a dye laser and gas laser were independently locked to one stable cavity. Because of the precautions employed, the observed sub-100 Hz beat line width shows that the lasers were this stable. Applications of this system of laser stabilization include precision laser spectroscopy and interferometric gravity-wave detectors.     

远程干涉型光纤传感系统的非线性相位噪声分析

以远程干涉型光纤传感系统为背景, 研究了系统非线性相位噪声构成, 对各构成要素的具体影响进行了详细分析和综合评价, 简要讨论了噪声抑制方案. 研究表明, 系统相位噪声主要包括强度噪声转化而来的相位噪声、非线性效应引起激光 线宽展宽导致的相位噪声以及自相位调制和交叉相位调制引入的相位噪声. 受激布里渊散射和四波混频可引入强度噪声并转化为相位噪声, 对于探测带宽较窄的光纤传感系统, 四波混频引入的该部分噪声往往可以忽略. 受激布里渊散射、四波混频和调制不稳定性都可引起激光线宽展宽从而造成相位噪声的增大. 当系统信道数目较多时, 交叉相位调制对相位噪声的贡献不可忽略. 所得结论对远程干涉型光纤传感系统的实际应用具有重要的指导意义.     

Noise properties of an optical frequency comb from a SESAM-mode-locked 1.5-μm solid-state laser stabilized to the 10?13 level

We present a detailed investigation of the noise properties of an optical frequency comb generated from a femtosecond diode-pumped solid-state laser operating in the 1.5-??m spectral region. The stabilization of the passively mode-locked Er:Yb:glass laser oscillator, referred to as ERGO, is achieved using pump power modulation for the control of the carrier envelope offset (CEO) frequency and by adjusting the laser cavity length for the control of the repetition rate. The stability and the noise of the ERGO comb are characterized in free-running and in phase-locked operation by measuring the noise properties of the CEO, of the repetition rate, and of a comb line at 1558?nm. The comb line is analyzed from the heterodyne beat signal with a cavity-stabilized ultra-narrow-linewidth laser using a frequency discriminator. Two different schemes to stabilize the comb to a radio-frequency (RF) reference are compared. The comb properties (phase noise, frequency stability) are limited in both cases by the RF oscillator used to stabilize the repetition rate, while the contribution of the CEO is negligible at all Fourier frequencies, as a consequence of the low-noise characteristics of the CEO-beat. A?linewidth of ??150?kHz and a fractional frequency instability of 4.2×10^?13 at 1?s are obtained for an optical comb line at 1558?nm. Improved performance is obtained by stabilizing the comb to an optical reference, which is a cavity-stabilized ultra-narrow linewidth laser at 1558?nm. The fractional frequency stability of 8×10^?14 at 1?s, measured in preliminary experiments, is limited by the reference oscillator used in the frequency comparison.     

A MZI-based photonic instantaneous microwave frequency measurement simplified by an optical polarizer

A novel photonic scheme of microwave signal frequency measurement with adjustable measurement range and resolution is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. The proposed scheme is based on simultaneous optical phase modulation and intensity modulation with interferometric detection. A low-pass frequency response is achieved by a Mach–Zehnder interferometer (MZI) while a bandpass frequency response is produced by a polarizer placed on the back instead of in front of the MZI. The microwave frequency can be estimated by the measured amplitude comparison function (ACF) obtained from the ratio of the two frequency responses. This scheme is simple, cost-effective as it requires no extra laser sources or modulators in the basic analog modulation link. The measurement errors as shown in experimental results can be kept in 0.1 GHz over a frequency range of 0.1–8.5 GHz.     

相敏式激光啁啾色散光谱技术在高吸收度情况下的应用

研究了相敏式激光啁啾色散光谱法在高吸收度情况下的应用.用窄频半导体激光器作为光源,利用一工作于载波抑制模式的铌酸锂电光强度调制器调制单频激光,在单频激光两侧产生两个边频分量,并通过两边频分量产生外差干涉信号.利用外差干涉的相位波动来测量甲烷气体位于1653.7 nm附近的折射率波动,通过气体折射率与吸收系数之间的Kramers-Kronig关系计算甲烷气体浓度.传统的波长调制光谱法受限于郎伯-比尔定律,在应用于高吸收度的情况时,存在灵敏度下降的问题,甚至出现随气体浓度上升输出信号反而下降的现象.实验结果显示,相同实验条件下,波长调制光谱法的线性测量范围为38.1—1500 ppm·m,线性测量的动态范围仅为16 d B;而相敏式激光啁啾色散光谱法在很大的吸收度范围内均具有线性输出,检出限低至47.3 ppm·m,线性测量范围上限为174825 ppm·m,具有超过35 d B的动态范围.     

Picosecond flat-top pulse generation by low-bandwidth electro-optic sinusoidal phase modulation

We report the first experimental demonstration to our knowledge of a microwave frequency upshifting system based on phase modulation. A sequence of flat-top optical and RF pulses at a repetition rate of 18.22 GHz, each with a FWHM time width of approximately 25 ps, is generated from a sinusoidal RF tone of only 3.680 GHz, in good agreement with our analytical and numerical calculations. A simple explanation of this technique based on Talbot effect theory is provided. The practical limitations and capabilities of the phase-modulation-based frequency upshifting approach for ultrabroadband RF waveform generation are also discussed.     

Amplitude to phase conversion of InGaAs pin photo-diodes for femtosecond lasers microwave signal generation

When a photo-diode is illuminated by a pulse train from a femtosecond laser, it generates microwaves components at the harmonics of the repetition rate within its bandwidth. The phase of these components (relative to the optical pulse train) is known to be dependent on the optical energy per pulse. We present an experimental study of this dependence in InGaAs pin photo-diodes illuminated with ultra-short pulses generated by an Erbium-doped fiber based femtosecond laser. The energy to phase dependence is measured over a large range of impinging pulse energies near and above saturation for two typical detectors, commonly used in optical frequency metrology with femtosecond laser based optical frequency combs. When scanning the optical pulse energy, the coefficient which relates phase variations to energy variations is found to alternate between positive and negative values, with many (for high harmonics of the repetition rate) vanishing points. By operating the system near one of these vanishing points, the typical amplitude noise level of commercial-core fiber-based femtosecond lasers is sufficiently low to generate state-of-the-art ultra-low phase noise microwave signals, virtually immune to amplitude to phase conversion related noise.     

汤姆逊硬X射线源中锁模脉冲激光稳频方法

 汤姆逊硬X射线源中，光阴极微波电子枪要求触发激光脉冲与腔中微波场相位的精确时间同步。理论分析了锁模脉冲激光器相位噪声，探讨了对激光脉冲相位探测和控制的方法，并通过实验构建了激光相位抖动测量系统和锁相环稳频回路，用基频鉴相信号驱动压电陶瓷晶体改变谐振腔长，实现了从开环3.42 ps到闭环1.46 ps的均方根相位抖动的测量和控制。     

Intensity modulation in single-mode microchip Nd：YAG lasers with asymmetric external cavity

Intensity modulation induced by the asymmetric external cavity in single-mode microchip Nd:YAG lasers is presented. Two kinds of experimental results are discussed based on multiple feedback effects. In one case, the intensity modulation curve is a normal sine wave, whose fringe frequency is four times higher than that of a conventional optical feedback system, caused by multiple feedback effects. In the other case, the intensity modulation curve is the overlapping of the above quadruple-frequency signal and conventional optical feedback signal, which is determined by the additional phase difference induced by the asymmetric external cavity. The theoretical analyses are in good agreement with the experimental results. The quadruple-frequency modulation of the laser output intensity can greatly increase the resolution of displacement measurement of an optical feedback system.     

基于光注入Fabry-Perot半导体激光器实现同步全光分路时钟提取与波长转换

提出了一种利用Fabry-Perot（FP）半导体激光器同步提取波长转换的分路光时钟的新方法,并对该方法进行了数值模拟和实验验证.光注入半导体激光器会产生非线性单周期振荡特性,利用交叉增益调制效应及对单周期振荡的微波锁频效应,可从光时分复用信号中提取出波长转换的分路光时钟.采用一个FP半导体激光器作为全光分路时钟提取及波长转换器,数值模拟实现了从波长为1555 nm、速率为2×20 Gb/s的光时分复用信号中提取出波长转换为1550 nm、重复频率为20 GHz的分路光时钟,实验完成了从波长为155024 nm、重复频率为1236 GHz光脉冲信号中提取出相位噪声为-105 dBc/Hz的波长为154591 nm、重复频率618 GHz的分频光时钟.此外还详细研究了注入光功率、波长失谐、FP激光器偏置电流及纵模选择对光时钟提取的影响,实验结果和数值模拟结果符合.该方法在光时分复用混合波分复用通信系统中实现全光解复用及波长路由有着重要的应用价值. 关键词： 波长转换 时钟提取 光注入 非线性动力学     

非即变相位共轭反馈对半导体激光器动态特性的影响

从四波混频产生相位共轭的物理原因出发,定义了相位共轭镜（PCM）的响应时间．建立起非即变相位共轭反馈条件下半导体激光器的外腔模型。以响应时间及频率失调为参变量,对其分岔及噪声等动态行为进行数值分析。结果表明,不考虑噪声影响时,增加相位共轭镜响应时间会使混沌带出现的次数和范围得到较大的抑制,当响应时间增大到1．5ns时,混沌带消失,半导体激光器保持稳定的单周期状态;考虑噪声影响后,随若响应时间的相对强度噪声（RIN）可减小几dB甚至十几dB,产生突变需要的反馈量也增大一个数量级以上,且其频谱的峰值向高频方向移动;另外,由于共轭反馈引起的频率失调低于半导体激光器激射频率3个数量级以上．它只对分岔特性有影响．对相对强度噪声的影响几乎为零。     

Efficient phase noise suppression of an external-cavity diode-laser by optical filtering and resonant optical feedback

We experimentally demonstrated that the excess phase noise of an external cavity diode laser (ECDL) can be efficiently suppressed by optical filtering and resonant optical feedback techniques. A suppression of more than 40?dB phase noise was obtained for the first time using these methods. It made that the phase noise of the ECDL reached shot noise level from 15?MHz. This opens a new way to reduce the phase noise of diode lasers.     

基于注入半导体激光器的微波副载波相位调制信号产生

光载无线技术是解决终端超宽带无线通信的重要方法,光信号与微波/毫米波信号的融合处理技术在光-无线的数据格式转换中至关重要.提出了一种基于相位调制信号光注入Fabry-Perot型半导体激光器实现微波副载波相位调制信号产生的方法.光学注入半导体激光器的输出光场会产生一周期(P1)振荡效应, P1振荡产生的边带实现了相位调制信号光的调制分量的放大,被放大的调制分量与注入光载波在激光器腔内拍频形成微波副载波.注入光相位的变化导致新产生的微波副载波相位变化, 实现了注入信号光相位信息转化为微波副载波相位信息.本系统完成1.3 Gb/s, 2.7 Gb/s, 2 Gb/s光相位调制信号到微波副载波相位调制信号的转换,并测量了微波的单边带相位噪声. 通过光电转换和电域混频将还原出的光基带信号与原信号进行逻辑对比,证明了数据信息转换的正确性.