Photonic microwave frequency divider with a tunable division ratio and harmonic suppression capability

Area of Science:

• Photonics
• Microwave Engineering
• Optical Communications

Background:

• Traditional electronic frequency dividers face limitations in high-frequency operation and reconfigurability.
• Photonic approaches offer potential for overcoming these electronic bottlenecks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel photonic microwave frequency divider.
• To demonstrate tunable, high-order frequency division capabilities.
• To achieve high harmonic suppression and wide operating frequency range.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing an optically injected distributed feedback (DFB) laser operating in a period-N state.
• Employing radio frequency (RF) phase-modulated optical signals.
• Selecting specific optical frequency components with an optical bandpass filter for photodetection.

Main Results:

• Achieved tunable frequency division ratios from 1/2 to 1/5 for input RF signals of 8-20 GHz.
• Demonstrated over 35 dB harmonic component suppression.
• Proof-of-concept experiment showed operation at 50 GHz with division ratios from 1/2 to 1/8.

Conclusions:

• The proposed photonic frequency divider offers a reconfigurable and wide-range solution for microwave signal processing.
• Optically injected semiconductor lasers are effective for high-frequency, tunable photonic frequency division.
• The absence of electrical components enhances the device's reconfigurability and potential for integration.