Generation of ultra-wideband signals by directly current-modulating distributed feedback laser diode subjected to optical feedback

Abstract

The chaotic ultra-wideband (UWB) pulse signals are generated by directly modulating semiconductor laser subjected to optical feedback. We simulate that the -10 dB bandwidth and the central frequency of the RF spectrum of the chaotic UWB signals are influenced by the bias current and feedback strength. The research results demonstrate that the -10 dB bandwidth of the RF spectrum of the UWB signals increases with the increases of the bias current of the semiconductor laser and the feedback, the central frequency also increases with the increases of the bias current and the feedback. In our experiments, chaotic UWB signals with steerable and flatted power spectrum are generated by directly modulating DFB-LD subjected to optical feedback. The power spectrum of UWB signals is fully compliant with the FCC indoor mask, while a large fractional bandwidth of 133% and a central frequency of 6.6 GHz are achieved. The central frequency and -10 dB bandwidth of the chaotic UWB signals are on a large scale tunable by adjusting the bias current and feedback power. In addition, the chaotic UWB signals transmit through a 34.08 km single mode fiber and the power spectrum does not have any discrete spectrum line.