Broadband tunable microwave pulse generation via phase-modulation mode-locking in an optoelectronic oscillator using a microwave photonic phase shifter
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Published on: November 22, 2019
Hang Xiao1, Di Peng1,2,3, Zhaoxin Zhang1
1Institute of Advanced Photonics Technology, School of Information Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China.
Abstract:
We propose and experimentally demonstrate a phase-modulation mode-locking mechanism for optoelectronic oscillators (OEOs), which is distinct from conventional gain-modulation approaches. By incorporating a microwave photonic phase shifter that provides a broadband and continuously tunable phase shift within the OEO loop, we establish a phase-locking condition governed by phase matching of the circulating signal rather than by periodic gain modulation. The generated microwave pulses arise at the zero-phase-slope condition across the oscillation bandwidth, where all longitudinal modes experience an identical phase shift per round trip, ensuring transform-limited pulse formation. In a proof-of-concept experiment, microwave pulse trains with center frequencies tunable from 4 GHz to 18 GHz are generated, paving a new pathway for reconfigurable microwave pulse signal generation in radar systems.
