A New Photonic Filterless Scheme for the Generation of Frequency 16-Tupling Millimeter Wave Signals Utilizing Cascading Polarization Modulators

Abstract

A new photonic scheme is proposed for the generation of a frequency 16-tupling millimeter wave (mm-wave) signal, based on four cascaded polarization modulators (PolMs). Firstly, through the precise control of these four PolMs, odd harmonics can be effectively suppressed sequentially. Next, combined with the modulation index of the PolMs, only the pure ± 8th-order optical harmonics are retained and enter the photodetector to beat the frequency. After multiple rounds of detailed, mathematical formula derivation and computer simulation, the accuracy and advantages of the proposed solution can be demonstrated. As a result, a 160 GHz mm-wave signal is obtained, which is produced from a 10 GHz radio frequency (RF) signal. By properly setting the modulation index and the angle of three phase differences, the optical suppression ratio (OSSR) and the radio frequency suppression ratio (RFSSR) of the acquired signal are 64.21 dB and 60.99 dB, respectively. Further, the impact of the variables on the OSSR and the RFSSR are analyzed and discussed.