title: Amplifier-free slab-coupled optical waveguide optoelectronic oscillator systems.
abstract: We demonstrate a free-running 3-GHz slab-coupled optical waveguide (SCOW) optoelectronic oscillator (OEO) with low phase-noise (<-120 dBc/Hz at 1-kHz offset) and ultra-low sidemode spurs. These sidemodes are indistinguishable from noise on a spectrum analyzer measurement (>88 dB down from carrier). The SCOW-OEO uses high-power low-noise SCOW components in a single-loop cavity employing 1.5-km delay. The noise properties of our SCOW external-cavity laser (SCOWECL) and SCOW photodiode (SCOWPD) are characterized and shown to be suitable for generation of high spectral purity microwave tones. Through comparisons made with SCOW-OEO topologies employing amplification, we observe the sidemode levels to be degraded by any amplifiers (optical or RF) introduced within the OEO cavity.
authors.affiliation: Lincoln Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Lexington, Massachusetts 02420, USA. William.Loh@ll.mit.edu
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Loh
authors.forename: Siva
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yegnanarayanan
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Klamkin
authors.forename: Shannon M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Duff
authors.forename: Jason J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Plant
authors.forename: Frederick J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: O'Donnell
authors.forename: Paul W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Juodawlkis
mesh_terms: D000669:Amplifiers, Electronic; D017076:Computer-Aided Design; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D007834:Lasers; D055617:Micro-Electrical-Mechanical Systems / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008872:Microwaves; D009991:Oscillometry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D010363:Pattern Recognition, Automated / Q000379:methods*; D020349:Surface Plasmon Resonance / Q000295:instrumentation*; D014584:User-Computer Interface