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Study of the noise processes in microwave oscillators based on passive optical resonators

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 April 2013

Khaldoun Saleh ,
Pierre-Henri Merrer ,
Amel Ali-Slimane ,
Olivier Llopis  and
Gilles Cibiel
Khaldoun Saleh*
Affiliation:
CNRS, LAAS, Université de Toulouse, 7 Avenue du Colonel Roche, F-31077, France. Phone: +33 5 6133 6879 CNES, 18 Avenue Edouard Belin, Toulouse F-31401, France
Pierre-Henri Merrer
Affiliation:
CNRS, LAAS, Université de Toulouse, 7 Avenue du Colonel Roche, F-31077, France. Phone: +33 5 6133 6879
Amel Ali-Slimane
Affiliation:
CNRS, LAAS, Université de Toulouse, 7 Avenue du Colonel Roche, F-31077, France. Phone: +33 5 6133 6879
Olivier Llopis
Affiliation:
CNRS, LAAS, Université de Toulouse, 7 Avenue du Colonel Roche, F-31077, France. Phone: +33 5 6133 6879
Gilles Cibiel
Affiliation:
CNES, 18 Avenue Edouard Belin, Toulouse F-31401, France
*
Corresponding author: K. Saleh Email: ksaleh@laas.fr
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Abstract

Two types of optoelectronic oscillators delivering high spectral purity microwave signals are presented in this paper. These oscillators use the Pound–Drever–Hall laser stabilization technique to lock the laser carrier onto two different types of passive optical resonators featuring high-quality factors: a fiber ring resonator (FRR) and a whispering gallery mode monocrystalline disk-shaped micro-resonator. The different noise processes occurring inside these oscillators are discussed. Particular attention is given to the conversion of the laser's amplitude and frequency noise into RF phase noise via the laser stabilization loop and the resonator, and via the photodetector nonlinearity as well. A modeling approach using CAD software is also proposed to qualitatively evaluate laser noise conversion through the optical resonator. Moreover, different contributions of nonlinear optical scattering noise are discussed, mainly in the case of the FRR-based oscillator. When controlling these nonlinear optical effects in the case of the FRR, low-phase noise operation of the oscillator has been achieved, with a −40 dBc/Hz noise level at 10 Hz offset frequency from a 10.2 GHz RF carrier.

Keywords

microwave photonicslow noise and communication receivers
Type
Research Papers
Information
International Journal of Microwave and Wireless Technologies , Volume 5 , Special Issue 3: European Microwave Week 2012 , June 2013 , pp. 371 - 380
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press and the European Microwave Association 2013 

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References

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