Integrated optical frequency division for microwave and mmWave generation

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Sun, Shuman; Wang, Beichen; Liu, Kaikai; Harrington, Mark W.; Tabatabaei, Fatemehsadat; Liu, Ruxuan; Wang, Jiawei; Hanifi, Samin; Morgan, Jesse S.; Jahanbozorgi, Mandana; Yang, Zijiao; Bowers, Steven M.; Morton, Paul A.; Nelson, Karl D.; Beling, Andreas; Blumenthal, Daniel J.; Yi, Xu
• 署名单位: University of Virginia; University of California System; University of California Santa Barbara; University of Virginia
• 刊物名称: Nature
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0028-5505
• DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07057-0
• 发表日期: 2024-03-21
• 关键词: high-power; silicon-nitride; laser; conversion; photonics; noise

摘要

The generation of ultra-low-noise microwave and mmWave in miniaturized, chip-based platforms can transform communication, radar and sensing systems1-3. Optical frequency division that leverages optical references and optical frequency combs has emerged as a powerful technique to generate microwaves with superior spectral purity than any other approaches4-7. Here we demonstrate a miniaturized optical frequency division system that can potentially transfer the approach to a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor-compatible integrated photonic platform. Phase stability is provided by a large mode volume, planar-waveguide-based optical reference coil cavity8,9 and is divided down from optical to mmWave frequency by using soliton microcombs generated in a waveguide-coupled microresonator10-12. Besides achieving record-low phase noise for integrated photonic mmWave oscillators, these devices can be heterogeneously integrated with semiconductor lasers, amplifiers and photodiodes, holding the potential of large-volume, low-cost manufacturing for fundamental and mass-market applications13. A miniaturized optical frequency division system that could transfer the generation of microwaves, with superior spectral purity, to a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor-compatible integrated photonic platform is demonstrated showing potential for large-volume, low-cost manufacturing for many applications.