Opto-Electronic Oscillator Using Suppressed Phase Modulation

A proposed opto- electronic oscillator (OEO) would generate a microwave signal having degrees of frequency stability and spectral purity greater than those achieved in prior OEOs. The design of this system provides for reduction of noise levels (including the level of phase noise in the final output microwave signal) to below some of the fundamental limits of the prior OEOs while retaining the advantages of photonic generation of microwaves. Whereas prior OEOs utilize optical amplitude modulation, this system would utilize a combination of optical phase modulation and suppression thereof. The design promises to afford, in the opto-electronic domain, the low-noise advantages of suppression of carrier signals in all-electronic microwave oscillators.