Generation of frequency 16‐tupling millimeter wave without filtering based on cascaded Mach–Zehnder modulator

Abstract

AbstractA scheme of generating millimeter‐wave signals with 16 times frequency using a cascaded Mach–Zehnder modulator (MZM) is proposed. Optical delay lines (ODLs) are used to place between cascaded MZMs, two MZMs work at the maximum transmission point. By controlling the modulation index of the MZM and the delay of the ODL, 0‐order, ‐order, and ‐order sidebands can be generated. The optical phase shifter and attenuator are adjusted to eliminate the 0‐order sideband, and the photodetector output generates a frequency 16‐tupling millimeter wave (MMW). In the simulation platform, a 160‐GHz MMW signal can be obtained by taking a 10‐GHz radio frequency signal as the driving signal of two MZMs. The optical sideband suppression ratio is 29.92 dB, and the radio frequency sideband suppression ratio is 24.89 dB. Further, the effect of system performance on optical devices under nonideal conditions is also discussed.