Development of a Mach-Zehnder Modulator Photonic Local Oscillator Source

• Published in: IEEE transactions on microwave theory and techniques 2013-08, Vol.61 (8), p.3005-3014
• Main Authors: Kubo, Derek Y., Srinivasan, Ranjani, Kiuchi, Hitoshi, Ming-Tang Chen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Astronomical and space-research instrumentation; Astronomy; Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA); Circuit properties; Earth, ocean, space; Electric, optical and optoelectronic circuits; Electronics; Erbium-doped fiber amplifiers; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Fundamental astronomy and astrophysics. Instrumentation, techniques, and astronomical observations; Harmonic analysis; Integrated optoelectronics. Optoelectronic circuits; Laser modes; Mach-Zehnder modulator (MZM); microwave oscillator; microwave photonics; Optical and optoelectronic circuits; Optical elements, devices, and systems; Optical modulation; Optical polarization; Optical processors, correlators, and modulators; Optics; Optoelectronic devices; phase noise; Physics; radio astronomy; Radio frequency; Radio telescopes and instrumentation; heterodyne receivers; Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices; Synthesizers
• ISSN: 0018-9480; 1557-9670
• DOI: 10.1109/TMTT.2013.2268460

This paper describes the development of a photonic local oscillator (LO) source based on a three-stage Mach-Zehnder modulator (MZM) device. The MZM laser synthesizer demonstrates the feasibility of providing the photonic reference LO for the Atacama Large Millimeter Array telescope located in Chile. This MZM approach to generating an LO by RF modulation of a monochromatic optical source provides the merits of wide frequency coverage of 4-130 GHz, tuning speed of about 0.2 s, and residual integrated phase noise performance of 0.3° rms at 100 GHz.