Photonic generation of frequency-switchable microwave signals exploiting polarization-induced spectrum splitting in fiber grating-based Fabry-Perot filters

Frequency-switchable microwave signals are optically generated using a dual-wavelength single-longitudinal-mode erbium-doped fiber ring laser. The splitting of the resonance peak is observed in fiber grating-based Fabry-Perot (F-P) filters depending on the injected light polarization states. Choosing two different resonance peaks of the grating-based F-P filter and using a variable saturable absorber formed by a section of incompletely transparent erbium-doped fiber, wavelength-switchable dual-wavelength single longitudinal-mode operation is achieved in the fiber ring laser. Microwave frequency switched among 8.75, 21.25 and 25.4 GHz is implemented by feeding the output laser to a high-speed photodetector.     

Single-longitudinal-mode dual-wavelength fiber ring laser by incorporating variable saturable absorbers and feedback fiber loops

A single-longitudinal-mode dual-wavelength fiber ring laser is proposed and demonstrated experimentally by introducing feedback fiber loops and a variable saturable absorber in a fiber ring cavity. A dynamic ultra-narrow bandpass filter is formed by the combined interactions of cascaded fiber Bragg gratings, feedback fiber loops and low-pumped erbium-doped fiber. Both ultra-narrow bandpass filter and accurate control for the cavity length are not required for the single-longitudinal-mode performance. The proposed scheme offers a possibility of generating terahertz waves by photomixing the lasing wavelengths in a high-speed photodetector.     

A tunable and switchable single-longitudinal-mode dual-wavelength fiber laser incorporating a reconfigurable dual-pass Mach-Zehnder interferometer and its application in microwave generation

A tunable and switchable single-longitudinal-mode (SLM) dual-wavelength fiber laser incorporating a reconfigurable dual-pass Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) filter was proposed and demonstrated, which can be applied in microwave generation. By incorporating a high extinction ratio (ER) dual-pass MZI into an erbium-doped fiber ring cavity, SLM dual-wavelength lasing can be achieved even using a MZI with relatively little free spectrum range (FSR), and by beating the two wavelengths at a photodetector, a 9.76 GHz microwave signal with a 3-dB bandwidth of less than 10 kHz is obtained. Moreover, by direct linking the two outputs of the MZI, the high ER dual-pass MZI is easily reconfigured as a half FSR dual-pass MZI. Using this structure, switchable SLM dual-wavelength lasing can be conveniently realized.     

Single-longitudinal-mode fiber ring laser using fiber grating-based Fabry-Perot filters and variable saturable absorbers

A single-longitudinal-mode (SLM) fiber ring laser is demonstrated by incorporating a fiber Bragg grating (FBG)-based Fabry-Perot (F-P) filter and a variable saturable absorber in a fiber ring cavity. An ultra-narrow bandpass filter is established by the combined mode filtering of the FBG-based F-P filter and the variable saturable absorber. No accurate control for cavity length is required, and stable single longitudinal-mode operation without mode hopping is conveniently achieved.     

Photonic generation of microwave signal using a dual-wavelength single-longitudinal-mode distributed Bragg reflector fiber laser

In this paper, a novel all-optical microwave generation technique based on a dual-wavelength single-longitudinal-mode (SLM) distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) fiber laser is proposed and demonstrated. By exploiting spatial hole burning (SHB) effect, this laser could provide stable dual-wavelength SLM operation with a wavelength separation of 0.088 nm corresponding to the microwave signal at 10.484 GHz with a 3 dB bandwidth of 28 kHz. By appropriately adjusting the pump power, dual-wavelength oscillation could be maintained at different temperatures. We have theoretically analyzed the mechanism for microwave generation of the proposed DBR laser, and the calculated microwave frequency is in good agreement with our experimental results. Furthermore, experimental observation shows both of the laser wavelengths and generated microwave signals have good stability at room temperature.     

基于两滤波器级联和饱和吸收体的单纵模双波长光纤激光器

提出和证实了一种光纤环形激光器. 将一个带通滤波器与一个带阻滤波器级联,用一段保偏掺铒光纤作为饱和吸收体,得到了一种单纵模双波长光纤激光器. 结果表明,该激光器波长间隔为0.4 nm,边模抑制比大于49 dB.如果将两个波长进行差拍,该激光器有潜力得到49.85 GHz的微波信号.     

Switchable single-longitudinal-mode dual-wavelength erbium-doped fiber ring laser incorporating a semiconductor optical amplifier

We propose and demonstrate a novel single-longitudinal-mode (SLM) dual-wavelength erbium-doped fiber ring laser incorporating a semiconductor optical amplifier. The SOA biased in its low-gain regime greatly reduces the gain competition of the two wavelengths. The stable SLM operation is guaranteed by a passive triple-ring cavity and a fiber Fabry-Perot filter. The dual-wavelength output with a 40 GHz wavelength spacing is switchable in the range of 1533-1565.4 nm.     

Wavelength spacing tunable dual-wavelength single-longitudinal-mode fiber ring laser based on fiber Bragg gratings

A wavelength spacing tunable dual-wavelength single-longitudinal-mode fiber ring laser is presented by employing separated fiber Bragg gratings. By using a saturable-absorption-induced grating filter and a hybrid gain medium formed by a semiconductor optical amplifier and an erbium-doped fiber amplifier, stable single-longitudinal-mode lasing is achieved at room temperature. Wavelength spacing of the proposed fiber laser can be tuned in a range from 0.1 to 1.3 nm.     

High frequency microwave signal generation using dual-wavelength emission of cascaded DFB fiber lasers with wavelength spacing tunability

A dual-wavelength fiber laser source based on two cascaded phase-shifted fiber Bragg gratings is presented. The gratings are written in an erbium-doped fiber, each configuring the cavity of a distributed feedback fiber laser. The spacing between lasing modes is controlled dynamically by the use of piezoelectric actuators. A continuous tuning range of 5-724 pm of the wavelength difference, which is equivalent to a photodetected 0.72-92 GHz range, is obtained. Efficient generation from the L to the W microwave and millimeter bands has been achieved by heterodyne photodetection of the dual-wavelength optical signal.     

Tunable microwave photonic notch filter using a dual-wavelength fiber laser with phase modulation

A novel tunable microwave photonic notch filter using a phase-modulated dual-wavelength fiber laser is presented. A stable dual-wavelength erbium-doped fiber laser with a linear cavity is formed by a polarization-maintaining uniform fiber Bragg grating (PM-FBG) and a polarization maintaining linearly chirped fiber Bragg grating (PM-LCFBG), both of which were fabricated on a high-birefringence (Hi-Bi) fiber. It is found that a stable room-temperature dual-wavelength operation can be achieved due to the presence of two reflection peaks arising from the orthogonal states of polarization (SOP) of the PM-FBG. Experimental results show stable dual-wavelength lasing operation with a wavelength separation of ∼0.36 nm and a large optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) of over 40 dB under room temperature. The dual-wavelength fiber laser is combined with a phase modulator and a segment of single-mode fiber (SMF) as a dispersive device to form a tunable microwave photonic notch filter. By stretching the PM-FBG to tune the wavelength separation of the dual-wavelength fiber laser, a tunable microwave photonic notch filter with various free spectral ranges (FSRs) and a rejection ratio greater than 35 dB was developed.     

Tunable microwave signal generation based on an Opto-DMD processor and a photonic crystal fiber

Frequency-tunable microwave signal generation is proposed and experimentally demonstrated with a dual-wavelength single-longitudinal-mode （SLM） erbium-doped fiber ring laser based on a digital Opto-DMD processor and four-wave mixing （FWM） in a high-nonlinear photonic crystal fiber （PCF）. The high-nonlinear PCF is employed for the generation of the FWM to obtain stable and uniform dual-wavelength oscillation. Two different short passive sub-ring cavities in the main ring cavity serve as mode filters to make SLM lasing. The two lasing wavelengths are electronically selected by loading different gratings on the Opto-DMD processor controlled with a computer. The wavelength spacing can be smartly adjusted from 0.165 nm to 1.08 nm within a tuning accuracy of 0.055 nm. Two microwave signals at 17.23 GHz and 27.47 GHz are achieved. The stability of the microwave signal is discussed. The system has the ability to generate a 137.36-GHz photonic millimeter signal at room temperature.     

Photonic generation of a microwave signal by employing a microfiber ring resonator

A novel approach to generate microwave signals is presented by employing a microfiber ring resonator. The microfiber ring resonator is assembled with a microfiber fabricated by heating and drawing standard single-mode fiber. By cascading microfiber ring resonator acted as a comb filter with a tunable bandpass filter, a wavelength-tunable dual-wavelength single longitudinal-mode laser is achieved. A microwave signal at 15.57 GHz with the linewidth of less than 21 kHz is demonstrated by beating the two wavelengths at a photodetector.     

Photonic generation of tunable microwave signals by beating a dual-wavelength single longitudinal mode fiber ring laser

A novel method of generating tunable microwave signals in the photonic domain is proposed. Eighteen pairs of stable dual-wavelength single longitudinal mode lasings are achieved by incorporating a fiber Bragg grating based Fabry–Pérot filter and a tunable fiber grating into a fiber ring cavity. The frequency of the generated microwave signal obtained by beating the dual-wavelength laser with a photodetector can be tuned simply through configuring the working wavelength of the laser. A series of microwave frequencies of 9.4885, 9.572, 9.7111, 9.8498, 9.9598 and 10.0712 GHz are generated experimentally. The proposed method is useful in applications such as wireless access networks, sensor networks, radio-over-fiber systems and software-defined radio. PACS 41.20.-q; 42.55.Wd; 41.81.-i     

Stable dual-wavelength single-longitudinal-mode ring erbium-doped fiber laser for optical generation of microwave frequency

We demonstrate a simple dual-wavelength ring erbium-doped fiber laser operating in single-longitudinal-mode (SLM) at room temperature. A pair of reflection type short-period fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs), which have two different center wavelengths of 1545.072 and 1545.284 nm, are used as the wavelength-selective component of the laser. A segment of unpumped polarization maintaining erbium-doped fiber (PM-EDF) is acted as a narrow multiband filter. By turning the polarization controller (PC) to enhance the polarization hole burning (PHB), the single-wavelength and dual-wavelength laser oscillations are observed at 1545.072 and 1545.284 nm. The output power variation is less than 0.6 dB for both wavelengths over a five-minute period and the optical signal to noise ratio (OSNR) is greater than 50 dB. By beating the dual-wavelengths at a photodetector (PD), a microwave signal at 26.44 GHz is demonstrated.     

Photonic generation of a microwave signal by incorporating a delay interferometer and a saturable absorber

A novel approach to generate microwave signals is presented by employing a dual-wavelength erbium-doped fiber ring laser. By using a delay interferometer as a comb filter cascaded with a tunable bandpass filter and a saturable absorber formed by an unpumped polarization-maintaining erbium-doped fiber, a stable wavelength-tunable dual-wavelength single longitudinal-mode laser is achieved. A microwave signal at 20.07 GHz with a linewidth of <25 kHz is demonstrated by beating the two wavelengths at a photodetector.     

Tunable dual-wavelength fiber laser based on a single fiber Bragg grating in a Sagnac loop interferometer

We propose a simple dual-wavelength Er-doped fiber laser configuration based on a dual-wavelength fiber Bragg grating written on the splice joint between two different fibers for wavelength-selective filter in the Sagnac loop interferometer. The wavelength separation between the adjacent lasing wavelengths is 1.12 nm and the side-mode suppression ratio (SMSR) is over 55 dB. The output power variation is less than 0.8 dB over a two-minute period. Moreover, the lasing wavelength can be effectively tuned using the thermal heating method.     

基于偏振稳定双波长保偏光纤光栅激光器的可调谐微波/毫米波产生技术

首次提出了一种基于偏振稳定双波长保偏光纤光栅激光器的可调谐微波/毫米波产生技术, 利用保偏光纤光栅选频产生两个偏振稳定的激光信号, 采用扰偏器确保激光输出的两个正交偏振态功率的一致性, 最后输入高速光电探测器产生微波/毫米波. 通过对保偏光纤光栅施加不同大小的侧向应力, 可以灵活调谐输出的毫米波频率. 实验制作了基于偏振稳定双波长保偏光纤光栅激光器的可调 谐微波/毫米波产生装置, 通过对保偏光纤光栅施加不同的轴向拉力分别产生了20.407 和22.050 GHz的微波信号. 仿真产生了60 GHz的毫米波信号, 并分析该毫米波在光纤无线通信下行链路的传输性能, 结果表明该毫米波作为副载波调制到光波上从中心站传输80 km至基站后经天线发射至用户端, 解调后仍然得到很好的眼图, 充分证明了本方案的优越传输性能.     

Single-longitudinal-mode erbium-doped fiber laser based on a fiber Bragg grating Fabry-Perot filter

A novel single-longitudinal-mode (SLM) erbium-doped fiber laser with a simple linear cavity based on a fiber Bragg grating Fabry-Perot filter (FBG-FPF) and a narrowband (～0.06 nm) FBG is proposed and demonstrated experimentally. Two uniform FBGs form the FBG-FPF, which has two ultranarrow transmission bands with a bandwidth of 0.12 pm and a wavelength spacing of 0.095 nm. By slightly tuning the central wavelength of the narrowband FBG, SLM lasing at 1549.658 or 1549.563 nm (corresponding to the two transmission peaks of the FBG-FPF) is achieved with a laser output power of ～4 mW, when the pump power is ～75 mW.     

Switchable single-longitudinal-mode dual-wavelength erbium-doped fiber ring laser based on one polarization-maintaining fiber Bragg grating incorporating saturable absorber and feedback fiber loop

Switchable single-longitudinal-mode (SLM) dual-wavelength erbium-doped fiber ring laser based on one polarization-maintaining fiber Bragg grating (PMFBG) is demonstrated. Due to the enhancement of the polarization hole burning (PHB) by the PMFBG, the laser can be designed to operate in stable dual-wavelength or wavelength-switching modes with a wavelength spacing of 0.336 nm at room temperature by adjusting a polarization controller (PC). The stable SLM operation is guaranteed by a compound-ring cavity and a saturable absorber (SA). The optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) is over 45 dB. The amplitude variation in nearly one and half an hour is less than 0.2 dB.     

Ultranarrow dual-transmission-band fiber Bragg grating filter and its application in a dual-wavelength single-longitudinal-mode fiber ring laser

A fiber Bragg grating filter with ultranarrow dual-transmission bands implemented using the equivalent phase shift technique is demonstrated. A fiber ring laser that incorporates a dual-transmission-band fiber Bragg grating filter in the ring cavity is implemented. Dual-wavelength single-longitudinal-mode lasing with a wavelength spacing as small as 0.147 nm at room temperature is experimentally demonstrated.