Oscillator

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This invention is an optoelectronic oscillator that generates optical and/or electrical pulsed frequency combs using a monolithically integrated, passively mode-locked semiconductor laser with an optical feedback loop. The feedback loop recirculates a portion of the laser's own light back into the laser in a controlled manner, dramatically reducing timing variations (jitter) and phase noise of the emitted pulses. By carefully tuning the feedback's delay and attenuation, this system achieves ultra-low jitter, producing extremely stable high-frequency electrical and optical signals without the need for complex or costly external high-frequency electronics.

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• Optical clock generation and distribution in high-speed fiber optic communication systems
• Timing sources for advanced wireless communications (5G, 6G, and beyond)
• Generation of low-noise microwave or millimeter-wave signals for radar and instrumentation
• Precise synchronization of networked components in data centers or telecommunication networks
• Metrology and high-precision frequency measurement instruments
• Photonic analog-to-digital conversion systems

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Significantly reduced pulse timing jitter and phase noise compared to prior art
• Simultaneous generation of highly stable electrical and optical pulse streams
• No need for external high-frequency stabilizing electronics, reducing complexity and cost
• Compact, chip-scale implementation suitable for integration into advanced photonic circuits
• Operational bandwidth covering a wide frequency range (up to 100 GHz and above)
• Lower energy consumption and production costs due to use of passive components and elimination of active electrical feedback

Technical Classifications (CPCs)

Inventors & Applicants

Patent Abstract

The invention relates, inter alia, to an optoelectronic oscillator (10) for generating an optical and/or electric pulse comb, comprising a monolithically integrated passively mode-coupled semiconductor laser (20) and an optical feedback loop (80) which guides a part of the optical radiation of the semiconductor laser (20) and feeds said part back into the semiconductor laser (20) as feedback pulses (Pr). Without the influence of the feedback pulses (Pr), the semiconductor laser (20) would emit comb-like optical pulses, hereafter referred to as primary pulses, and in the event of an influence, emits comb-like output pulses (Pa) which have been influenced by the feedback pulses (Pr), said output pulses having a lower temporal jitter or less phase noise than the primary pulses. According to the invention, the feedback loop (80) is damped between 27.5 and 37.5 dB, and the time lag of the feedback loop (80) is selected such that each feedback pulse (Pr) is incident within the temporal half-value width of each subsequent primary pulse, i.e. the next pulse which the semiconductor laser (20) would have generated without being influenced by the incident feedback pulse (Pr).