Generation of ultrastable microwaves via optical frequency division

Fortier, Tara M.; Kirchner, Matthew S.; Quinlan, Franklyn; Taylor, Jennifer A.; Bergquist, J. C.; Rosenband, T.; Lemke, Nathan D.; Ludlow, Andrew D.; Jiang, Yan‐Yi; Oates, C. W.; Diddams, Scott A.

doi:10.1038/nphoton.2011.121

Cited by 722 publications

(446 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…Sideband injection locking in a master-slave laser configuration has also been applied to enable broadband multiplication of a supplied electronic microwave signal 19 . A remarkable, recent advance has been the introduction of optical dividers in the form of frequency combs to create record low close-to-carrier phase-noise microwave signal sources 20 . Frequency combs have previously been applied to stabilize optical carrier frequencies for distribution of microwaves over optical fibre [21][22][23] , however, in this new approach an optical signal serves as the root for the ultra-high-stability microwave signal itself.…”

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confidence: 99%

Microwave synthesizer using an on-chip Brillouin oscillator

2013

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Low-phase-noise microwave oscillators are important to a wide range of subjects, including communications, radar and metrology. Photonic-based microwave-wave sources now provide record, close-to-carrier phase-noise performance, and compact sources using microcavities are available commercially. Photonics-based solutions address a challenging scaling problem in electronics, increasing attenuation with frequency. A second scaling challenge, however, is to maintain low phase noise in reduced form factor and even integrated systems. On this second front, there has been remarkable progress in the area of microcavity devices with large storage time (high optical quality factor). Here we report generation of highly coherent microwaves using a chip-based device that derives stability from high optical quality factor. The device has a record low electronic white-phase-noise floor for a microcavity-based oscillator and is used as the optical, voltage-controlled oscillator in the first demonstration of a photonic-based, microwave frequency synthesizer. The synthesizer performance is comparable to mid-range commercial devices.

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confidence: 99%

Microwave synthesizer using an on-chip Brillouin oscillator

2013

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“…5. The input signal at 8 GHz is generated from a cavitystabilized, self-referenced, 1 GHz Ti:sapphire mode-locked laser [7]. The first two stages of the synthesizer are digital dividers and the remaining six dividers are regenerative.…”

Section: Design and Implementation Of An Ultra-low Noise Frequencmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These dividers can achieve lower residual phase-noise than other analog and digital dividers [5]. There are several emerging technologies that produce ultra-low phase-noise microwave and RF signals generated either from the optical comb-based division of a cavity-stabilized laser [6][7][8], or from a cryo-cooled sapphire microwave oscillator [9,10]. Frequency division by N reduces the signal phase-noise by N 2 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Frequency division by N reduces the signal phase-noise by N 2 . Therefore, by dividing an ultra-low-noise microwave signal that has SSB phase-noise, L(f), equal to -104 dBc/Hz at 10 GHz [7], a very-low-noise RF signal can potentially be generated. An ideal division of this signal should produce -170 dBc/Hz at 5 MHz.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These signals are obtained by dividing an ultra-low phase-noise 8 GHz microwave signal with a combination of digital and analog regenerative dividers. The 8 GHz signal is generated via optical-comb frequency division [7].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Ultra-low-noise regenerative frequency divider for high-spectral-purity RF signal generation

Hati

Nelson

Barnes

et al. 2012

2012 IEEE International Frequency Control Symposium Proceedings

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Abstract-We implement an ultra-low-noise frequency divider chain from 8 GHz to 5 MHz that utilizes custom-built regenerative frequency divide-by-2 circuits. The single-sideband (SSB) residual phase-noise of this regenerative divider at 5 MHz output is -163 dBc/Hz at 10 Hz offset frequency. This level is achieved with custom-built mixers that use 2N2222A bipolar junction transistors in a conventional double-balanced diode ring. We report absolute phase-noise of radio-frequency (RF) signals at 10 MHz and 5 MHz obtained by dividing an 8 GHz signal generated from ultra-stable optical comb-based frequency division. The absolute SSB phase-noise for a 10 MHz and 5 MHz signal at 1 Hz offset is -143 dBc/Hz and -150 dBc/Hz, and at 100 kHz offset is -174 dBc/Hz and -177 dBc/Hz, respectively.

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Precision Molecular Spectroscopy with Frequency Combs

Gatti

Sala

Marangoni

et al. 2012

Encyclopedia of Analytical Chemistry

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The advent of frequency combs has given tremendous impulse to the fields of high‐resolution molecular spectroscopy and trace sensing of multiple gases. The combs' secret lies in their fine, discrete, stable, reproducible, and controllable spectral structure, readily referable to the primary microwave standard. These features make combs ideal tools to obtain on one side precision as well as absolute frequency calibration in the spectroscopic detection of individual absorption lines and, on the other side, to develop a new class of spectrometers where broadband coupling of combs to passive optical cavities allows extreme sensitivity to be conjugated with spectral resolution, broad spectral coverage, and fast acquisition times.

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Generation of ultrastable microwaves via optical frequency division

Cited by 722 publications

References 28 publications

Microwave synthesizer using an on-chip Brillouin oscillator

Microwave synthesizer using an on-chip Brillouin oscillator

Ultra-low-noise regenerative frequency divider for high-spectral-purity RF signal generation

Precision Molecular Spectroscopy with Frequency Combs

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