title: State-of-the-art RF signal generation from optical frequency division.
abstract: We present the design of a novel, ultralow-phase-noise frequency synthesizer implemented with extremely-low-noise regenerative frequency dividers. This synthesizer generates eight outputs, viz. 1.6 GHz, 320 MHz, 160 MHz, 80 MHz, 40 MHz, 20 MHz, 10 MHz and 5 MHz for an 8 GHz input frequency. The residual single-sideband (SSB) phase noises of the synthesizer at 5 and 10 MHz outputs at 1 Hz offset from the carrier are -150 and -145 dBc/Hz, respectively, which are unprecedented phase noise levels. We also report the lowest values of phase noise to date for 5 and 10 MHz RF signals achieved with our synthesizer by dividing an 8 GHz signal generated from an ultra-stable optical-comb-based frequency division. The absolute SSB phase noises achieved for 5 and 10 MHz signals at 1 Hz offset are -150 and -143 dBc/Hz, respectively; at 100 kHz offset, they are -177 and -174 dBc/Hz, respectively. The phase noise of the 5 MHz signal corresponds to a frequency stability of approximately 7.6 × 10(-15) at 1 s averaging time for a measurement bandwidth (BW) of 500 Hz, and the integrated timing jitter over 100 kHz BW is 20 fs.
authors.forename: Archita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hati
authors.forename: Craig W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.forename: Corey
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Barnes
authors.forename: Danielle
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lirette
authors.forename: Tara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fortier
authors.forename: Franklyn
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Quinlan
authors.forename: Jason A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: DeSalvo
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ludlow
authors.forename: Scott A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Diddams
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Howe
mesh_terms: D004581:Electronics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D055617:Micro-Electrical-Mechanical Systems / Q000295:instrumentation*; D055096:Optical Devices; D011846:Radio Waves; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation*; D013685:Telecommunications / Q000295:instrumentation*; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000295:instrumentation*