Photonically referenced extremely stable oscillator.

Area of Science:

• Photonics
• Microwave Engineering
• Optical Physics

Background:

• Photonic microwave oscillators are crucial for applications like telecommunications and RADAR due to low phase noise at high frequencies.
• Current state-of-the-art photonic oscillators utilize complex, bulky, and expensive optical frequency combs with multiple stabilization loops.
• These systems present operational challenges and high maintenance costs, limiting their widespread adoption.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a simplified and high-performance photonic microwave oscillator.
• To reduce the complexity and cost associated with existing photonic oscillator technologies.
• To demonstrate a compact and reliable solution for generating stable microwave signals.

Main Methods:

• Development of a Photonically Referenced Extremely STable Oscillator (PRESTO).
• Utilizing a simplified architecture comprising a femtosecond laser, a fiber delay element, and a pulse timing detector.
• Characterization of phase noise and timing jitter performance.

Main Results:

• PRESTO achieves excellent phase noise levels: -125 dBc/Hz at 1 kHz, -145 dBc/Hz at 10 kHz, and <-160 dBc/Hz at >100 kHz.
• Demonstrates an integrated timing jitter of only 2 fs RMS over the [100 Hz-1 MHz] bandwidth.
• The system operates with significantly reduced complexity compared to traditional photonic oscillators.

Conclusions:

• PRESTO offers a simplified, cost-effective, and high-performance alternative to conventional photonic microwave oscillators.
• The compact design and robust performance make PRESTO suitable for downsizing and simplifying advanced systems.
• This technology paves the way for broader implementation of stable photonic microwave signals in diverse fields.