title: Evidence of ultra low microwave additive phase noise for an optical RF link based on a class--a semiconductor laser.
abstract: The additive RF phase noise of a microwave photonics link is measured using, as the optical source, a semiconductor laser operating in the class-A regime. The relative intensity noise of this laser being below the shot noise relative level, the phase noise floor of the link is shown to be shot noise limited, -152 dBc/Hz in our experimental conditions. As a result, the phase noise floor evolves as the inverse of the detected photocurrent, pushing the limits of performance to the availability of high power photo-detectors. Below 6 kHz from the carrier frequency at 3GHz, some noise, in excess with respect to the shot noise limit, is observed but remains lower than -110 dBc/Hz at 100 Hz offset frequency. This residual noise originates mainly from environmental noise and can be reduced by isolating the laser from acoustic/electromagnetic perturbations.
authors.affiliation: Thales Research & Technology France, RD 128, 91767 Palaiseau Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Ghaya
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Baili
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alouini
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Malherbe
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dolfi
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Huignard
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Merlet
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chazelas
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sagnes
authors.forename: Fabien
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bretenaker