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Optics Express

Cross-referenced deadband-free microwave frequency measurement with cascaded-four-wave-mixing-based photonic harmonic down-conversion

Xinhai Zou, Shangjian Zhang, Heng Wang, Yangxue Ma, Xuyan Zhang, Zhiyao Zhang, Yong Liu

Published Aug 5, 2019• 7 citations
Publisher

Abstract

A cross-referenced and deadband-free method with photonic harmonic down-conversion is proposed for microwave frequency measurement based on cascaded-four-wave-mixing (CFWM) in semiconductor optical amplifiers. The proposed method enables ultra-wide and accurate frequency measurement with low-frequency spectrum detection, and at the same time achieves deadband-free and multi-tone frequency measurement by cross-referenced frequency discrimination. For a proof of concept, microwave signal measurement is experimentally demonstrated up to the 40 GHz frequency range with an 0.2-MHz measurement error. The frequency measurement features ease of configuration by only changing the low-frequency electrical local oscillators of the CFWM-based photonic harmonic down-converter.

DOI
10.1364/oe.27.023714

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A cross-referenced and deadband-free method with photonic harmonic down-conversion is proposed for microwave frequency measurement based on cascaded-four-wave-mixing (CFWM) in semiconductor optical amplifiers. The proposed method enables ultra-wide and accurate frequency measurement with low-frequency spectrum detection, and at the same time achieves deadband-free and multi-tone frequency measurement by cross-referenced frequency discrimination. For a proof of concept, microwave signal measurement is experimentally demonstrated up to the 40 GHz frequency range with an 0.2-MHz measurement error. The frequency measurement features ease of configuration by only changing the low-frequency electrical local oscillators of the CFWM-based photonic harmonic down-converter.
In this Letter, we report a wideband and low-error photonic instantaneous frequency measurement (IFM) system for microwave signals, which uses a nonlinear interferometer constructed with cascaded degenerate four-wave mixing (FWM) and in-between dispersion to introduce a tunable time delay. The microwave frequency is interpreted through interference of two idlers generated in cascaded FWM stages. This new approach allows parallel implementation of multiple IFMs without an overlap of idler wavelengths used for different IFMs, which is crucial to realize a wide frequency coverage and high accuracy without compromising the system practicality. A large, 40 GHz measurement bandwidth and a low measurement error of approximately 0.4% have been successfully achieved.
We report a photonic-assisted method for measuring the frequencies of a multi-tone microwave with high accuracy based on pulse identification. The unknown microwave signal and a linearly chirped signal are modulated to an optical carrier using a dual-polarization Mach–Zehnder modulator. Carrier-suppressed single-sideband modulation avoids the generation of undesired frequency components after photodetection. An electrical bandpass filter with a narrow bandwidth selects the beat signal between the unknown signal and the linearly chirped optical tone. A pulse, generated by the beat signal, can be observed using an oscilloscope (OSC). By identifying the beating pulse position, we can accurately determine the frequency of the unknown signal. The single-tone and multi-tone microwave signal ranges of 6–16 GHz and 26–36 GHz are successfully measured, respectively. The measurement errors for single-tone and multi-tone signals are both less than ±1 MHz.
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A filterless microwave photonic-assisted frequency measurement scheme for instant broadband RF signal measurement is proposed and analyzed. The scheme employs single-channel mapping to save signal processing time. The channelized receiver is divided into upper and lower branches, generating a non-flat optical frequency comb and achieving single-sideband modulation, respectively. Through image-rejection mixing, the powers of the beating frequencies and the optical frequency comb lines are combined to determine the signal range, and the signal frequency can be accurately calculated. Simulations demonstrate that this scheme can measure multi-frequency and linearly frequency-modulated signals within the range of 0-40 GHz. The system has been experimentally validated with a measurement error of less than 25 MHz.
The theory for temporally multidimensional, electronically resonant four-wave-mixing (FWM) spectroscopy based on broadband light interferometry is developed. Both homodyne and heterodyne detection are considered. Upon spectrally resolving the signal, the electronic Bohr frequency is seen to be extremely down-converted, even to zero frequency, but only with homodyne detection. These very low frequency fringes, referred to as radiation difference oscillations, are well known in the interferometric coherent Raman broadband light spectroscopies. Such low frequency fringes permit interferometry in the optical region using Nyquist criteria corresponding to far infrared sampling rates. Possible applications are illustrated by simulations of the two-dimensional third order signals from an electronic two-level system in a variety of ``baths.'' It is seen how homogeneous and inhomogeneous line-shaping mechanisms manifest themselves differently and revealingly in the free induction decay, the photon echo decay and their cross term components of the FWM signal.
Microwave frequency mixing is a fundamental functionality in microwave photonics, playing a crucial role in modern radar and wireless communication systems. Classical microwave photonic mixers require both the radio frequency (rf) signal and the local oscillator to be loaded onto the same optical light source, thereby impeding their capability in the context of distributed microwave systems. Using time-energy--entangled biphotons as the optical carrier, the quantum microwave photonic (QMWP) mixer offers a promising solution for attaining nonlocal mixing and surmounting such limitations. In this paper, we explore two types of QMWP mixer based on the configuration of the intensity modulators: cascade type and parallel type. Both QMWP mixers feature the properties of high linearity and dual outputs, with their spurious-free dynamic ranges being identical to that of the equivalent classical microwave photonic mixer. Specifically, the parallel-type QMWP mixer can nonlocally mix two physically separated rf signals, demonstrating its superiority in distributed microwave and millimeter-wave radar systems. Further, by application of multiphoton frequency-entangled sources as optical carriers, the nonlocal microwave frequency conversion capability endowed by the QMWP mixer can be extended to enhance the performance of multiple-path microwave mixing, which is essential for radar net systems.