Ultra broadband microwave frequency combs generated by an optical pulse-injected semiconductor laser

We have demonstrated and characterized the generation of ultra broadband microwave frequency combs with an optical pulse-injected semiconductor laser. Through optical pulse injection, the microwave frequency combs generated in the slave laser (SL) have bandwidths greater than 20 GHz within a +/- 5 dB amplitude variation, which is almost 3-fold of the 7 GHz relaxation oscillation frequency of the laser used. The line spacing of the comb is tunable from 990 MHz to 2.6 GHz, determined by the repetition frequency of the injection optical pulses produced by the master laser (ML) with optoelectronic feedback. At an offset frequency of 200 kHz, a single sideband (SSB) phase noise of -60 dBc/kHz (-90 dBc/Hz estimated) in the 1(st) harmonic is measured while a noise suppression relative to the injected regular pulsing state of the ML of more than 25 dB in the 17(th) harmonic is achieved. A pulsewidth of 29 ps and a rms timing jitter of 18.7 ps are obtained in the time domain for the microwave frequency comb generated. Further stabilization is realized by modulating the ML at the fundamental frequency of the injected regular pulsing state. The feasibility of utilizing the generated microwave frequency comb in frequency conversion and signal broadcasting is also explored. The conversion gain of each channel increases linearly as the signal power increases with a ratio of about 0.81 dB/dBm. (c) 2009 Optical Society of America