Photonic-assisted microwave frequency measurement with higher resolution and tunable range

Area of Science:

• Photonics
• Microwave Engineering
• Optical Modulation

Background:

• Accurate microwave frequency measurement is crucial for various applications.
• Existing methods may face limitations in resolution, range, or complexity.
• Photonic-assisted techniques offer potential for enhanced measurement capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel photonic-assisted approach for microwave frequency measurement.
• To utilize frequency-to-power mapping via an amplitude comparison function.
• To demonstrate a system with improved simplicity, resolution, and tunable measurement range.

Main Methods:

• A dual-output Mach-Zehnder modulator (MZM) operating with chirped modulation is employed as the core component.
• The scheme relies on mapping microwave frequencies to optical power levels.
• An equivalent experiment used a single-output MZM at varied bias points to validate the concept due to experimental constraints.

Main Results:

• The proposed photonic approach enables microwave frequency measurement through frequency-to-power mapping.
• The system demonstrates inherent simplicity and a tunable measurement range.
• Higher resolution in frequency measurement is achieved compared to conventional methods.

Conclusions:

• The developed photonic-assisted microwave frequency measurement technique is effective.
• The use of a dual-output MZM with chirped modulation offers significant advantages.
• The concept is validated, paving the way for practical implementations in advanced measurement systems.