Summary:
UCLA researchers in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering have developed the Dual-Stage On-Chip Optical-To-Microwave Low-Noise Synthesizer, which achieves exceptional phase-noise performance by combining optical and microwave components and is poised to improve telecommunications efficiencies.
Background:
The field of low-noise synthesizers faces challenges in achieving high phase-noise performance. Existing technologies struggle to maintain frequency stability across different domains, such as from optical to microwave frequencies. This limitation hinders the generation of low-noise microwave signals required for various applications.
Innovation:
Professor Chee Wei Wong and his team have addressed the challenges in this field by leveraging a dual-stage frequency division approach. Their innovation utilizes a dual-stage frequency division process to transfer frequency stability from an on-chip laser to microwave frequencies. This technology enables the generation of ultra-low-noise microwave signals between 1 and 40 GHz, with a phase noise of -154 dBc/Hz at a 10 kHz offset. The synthesizer incorporates an on-chip laser locked to an ultrahigh-Q microcavity and utilizes an octave-spanning THz repetition rate microresonator frequency comb for the first stage of division. The second stage employs a hybrid photonic-RF approach with a tunable effective division factor. This innovation enables the synthesis of microwave frequencies between 1 and 40 GHz while achieving remarkable phase-noise performance.
Potential Applications:
• Wireless communication systems
• Radar and sensing applications
• Satellite communications
• High-speed data transfer
• Radio astronomy
Advantages:
• Record phase-noise performance
• Integrated components for a compact design
• Enables ultra-low-noise microwave signal generation
• Wide frequency range of 1 to 40 GHz
• Stable frequency transfer from optical to microwave domains
Development-To-Date:
First description of the complete invention, March 2021.
Reference:
UCLA Case No. 2022-059
Lead Inventor:
Chee Wei Wong