Stepwise Radio Frequency Switching in a

Semiconductor Laser with Optoelectronic

Feedback

M. S. Islam,1,2 G. Coget,2 A. V. Kovalev,3 E. A. Viktorov,3 D. S. Citrin,1,2

A. Locquet, 1,2

1Georgia Tech-CNRS IRL 2958, Georgia Tech Lorraine, Metz, France

2School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, USA

3ITMO University, St. Petersburg, Russia

Outline
1. Outline  Motivation
2.
3.
Motivation
Benefits/Advantages
Context  Benefits/Advantages
4. Applications  Applications
5. Stabilization of
microwave oscillator

6.
1, 2
Experimental Setup
 Experimental setup OEO
7. Experimental BD  Stabilization of microwave oscillator
8. Transitions Experiments
9. Delay Differential  Experimental Setup Switching
10.
Equation
Numerical BD I  Experimental BD
11.
12.
Numerical BD II
Conclusion
 Transitions

 Delay Differential Equation

Numerical Analysis  Numerical BD I
 Numerical BD II

 Conclusion
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Motivation: microwave oscillator
1. Outline
2. Motivation
Optoelectronic oscillators (OEO)
3. Benefits/Advantages - highly stable radio-frequency (RF) sources
4. Applications
5. Stabilization of - many applications in radar, communications, sensing and measurement
microwave oscillator
1, 2
6. Experimental Setup
7. Experimental BD
8. Transitions
9. Delay Differential
Equation
Modulating the injection current or the optical output require external
10. Numerical BD I microwave sources ( additional noises, tunability issue, incompactness)
11. Numerical BD II
12. Conclusion

Simple, tunable microwave generator based on a laser

- OF + OEF
- OEF

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Benefits/Advantages
1. Outline
2. Motivation
3. Benefits/Advantages
4. Applications
5. Stabilization of Simpler – consists of a single laser diode, a mirror, a feedback
microwave oscillator
1, 2 attenuator, photodiode, and interconnects between the devices
6. Experimental Setup
7. Experimental BD
8. Transitions Cheaper – does not require expensive external RF sources or laser
9. Delay Differential
Equation sources
10. Numerical BD I
11. Numerical BD II
12. Conclusion Accessible – does not require any exotic components that cannot be
purchased from a component manufacturer

Robust – ability to tune frequencies across the X-band frequency range

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Potential Commercial Applications
1. Outline
2. Motivation
3. Benefits/Advantages
Radar/telecom carriers
4. Applications
5. Stabilization of
microwave oscillator
1, 2
6. Experimental Setup
7. Experimental BD
8. Transitions Satellite/microwave communications
9. Delay Differential
Equation
10. Numerical BD I
11. Numerical BD II
12. Conclusion

Radio-frequency clocking

Radio-transmission over fiber

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Stabilization of OEO
1. Outline - 1st implementation : Experimental set up with OF +OEF
2. Motivation
3. Benefits/Advantages
- Schematic diagram of the free-space OEO with OEF stabilization
4. Applications [Ref. 2]
5. Stabilization of
microwave oscillator
1, 2
6. Experimental Setup
7. Experimental BD
8. Transitions
9. Delay Differential
Equation
10. Numerical BD I
11. Numerical BD II
12. Conclusion

[1] Chang, C. Y., Wishon, M. J., Choi, D., Dong, J., Merghem, K., Ramdane, A., Citrin, D. S. (2017). Tunable X-Band Optoelectronic Oscillators Based on
External-Cavity Semiconductor Lasers. IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics, 53(3). https://doi.org/10.1109/JQE.2017.2682702
[2] Wishon, M. J., Choi, D., Niebur, T., Webster, N., Chembo, Y. K., Viktorov, E. A., Locquet, A. (2018). Low-noise x-band tunable microwave generator
based on a semiconductor laser with feedback. IEEE Photonics Technology Letters, 30(18), 1597–1600. https://doi.org/10.1109/LPT.2018.2859748

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Stabilization of microwave oscillator
1. Outline
Resonance based on locking two inherent frequencies: 𝑓𝑅𝑂 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑓𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑝
2. Motivation
3. Benefits/Advantages
4. Applications
5. Stabilization of Only OF
microwave oscillator
1, 2
6. Experimental Setup
7. Experimental BD OEF stabilization
8. Transitions
9. Delay Differential
Equation
10. Numerical BD I
11. Numerical BD II
12. Conclusion
−79.3 dBc/Hz @ 10 kHz [Ref. 1]
OEO stabilized
28 dBc/Hz gain
−107.3 dBc/Hz @ 10 kHz [Ref. 2]

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Purely Optoelectronic Feedback
1. Outline
2. Motivation LD with optoelectronic (OE) feedback
3. Benefits/Advantages
4. Applications
5. Stabilization of
microwave oscillator
1, 2
6. Experimental Setup  InAs/InP (Qdash) Laser.
7. Experimental BD
8.
9.
Transitions
Delay Differential
 LD operating at 1550 nm.
Equation
10. Numerical BD I  Rotating polarizer
11. Numerical BD II
12. Conclusion
 Bias Tee

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Experimental Bifurcation Diagram
1. Outline Forward Backward
2. Motivation
3. Benefits/Advantages
4. Applications
5. Stabilization of
microwave oscillator
1, 2
6. Experimental Setup Intensity Bifurcation
7. Experimental BD
8. Transitions
9. Delay Differential
Equation
10. Numerical BD I
11. Numerical BD II
12. Conclusion

Spectral Bifurcation

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Two transitions
Abrupt switching Progressive switching
1. Outline
2. Motivation
3. Benefits/Advantages
4. Applications QP
5. Stabilization of LC
microwave oscillator
1, 2
6. Experimental Setup
7. Experimental BD
8. Transitions
9. Delay Differential
Equation
10. Numerical BD I
11. Numerical BD II
12. Conclusion LC
LC

- Jumps are associated with a subcritical torus bifurcation of a limit cycle (LC)
- A progressive switching mediated by an intermediate quasiperiodic (QP) state

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OEF+low-cut filtering: DDE Model
1. Outline - Rate equation model model for analysis (inspired by Ref [3])
2. Motivation
3. Benefits/Advantages
- Filtered optoelectronic feedback
4. Applications - Allows only high frequency signals to pass
5. Stabilization of
microwave oscillator
1, 2 𝑑𝐼(𝑡)
= 2𝑁(𝑡)𝐼(𝑡)
6. Experimental Setup 𝑑𝑡
7. Experimental BD 𝑑𝐼𝐹 (𝑡) −1
𝑑𝐼(𝑡)
8. Transitions = −𝜏𝐹 𝐼(𝑡) +
9. Delay Differential 𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡
Equation
−1
𝑑𝑁(𝑡)
10. Numerical BD I 𝜀 = 𝑃 − 𝜂𝐼𝐹 (𝑡 − 𝜏) − 𝑁(𝑡) − (1 + 2𝑁(𝑡))𝐼(𝑡)
11. Numerical BD II 𝑑𝑡
12. Conclusion
I(t): optical intensity 𝑃 = 𝐽/𝐽𝑡ℎ − 1: pump above the threshold
N(t): carrier density, parameter
𝐼𝐹 𝑡 : the high-pass filtered intensity τ: delay time
signal τF: low-cut filter bandwidth
ε: ratio of the carrier and photon lifetimes
η: feedback strength
[3] Kovalev, A. V, Islam, M. S., Locquet, A., Citrin, D. S., Viktorov, E. A., & Erneux, T. (2019). Resonances between fundamental frequencies for
lasers with large delayed feedbacks. Physical Review E, 99(6), 062219. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.99.062219

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Numerical bifurcation diagram
1. Outline
Stability analysis: why switching happens to the limit cycles with lower
2. Motivation frequencies (which become eventually stable) when feedback strength
3. Benefits/Advantages
4. Applications increases?
5. Stabilization of
microwave oscillator Parameter plane for stability analysis Bifurcation diagrams of intensity and frequency
1, 2
6. Experimental Setup CW solution: stable unstable Limit cycles: stable unstable
7. Experimental BD
8. Transitions Hopf bifurcation points… Eventually stable Torus bifurcation points
9. Delay Differential
Equation
ever unstable limit cycles
10. Numerical BD I
11. Numerical BD II
12. Conclusion

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Numerical bifurcation diagram
1. Outline Black: 𝜂 ramped up , red: 𝜂 ramped down.
2. Motivation
3. Benefits/Advantages
4. Applications Intensity Bifurcation RF Bifurcation
5. Stabilization of
microwave oscillator
1, 2
6. Experimental Setup
7. Experimental BD
8. Transitions
9. Delay Differential
Equation
10. Numerical BD I
11. Numerical BD II
12. Conclusion

- Agreement between experimental and numerical results is observed

- Abrupt switching is associated with subcritical torus bifurcation of a
limit cycle.
- A progressive switching between two limit cycles involves a mediating
quasiperiodic regime.
- Presence of hysteresis
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Conclusion
1.
2.
Outline
Motivation
- Step-wise change in 𝑓𝑅𝑂 when feedback level is varied
3. Benefits/Advantages
4. Applications - Changes: abrupt : (subcritical torus bifurcation)
5. Stabilization of
microwave oscillator
1, 2 unitary or non-unitary multiples of 𝑓𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑝
6. Experimental Setup
7. Experimental BD or progressive (mediated by intermediate quasiperiodic state)
8. Transitions
9. Delay Differential
Equation non-unitary multiples of 𝑓𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑝
10. Numerical BD I
11. Numerical BD II
12. Conclusion - Stability analysis
- Simulations confirm the experimental findings
- might be useful as discretely tunable microwave oscillator

Contact Address: alocquet@georgiatech-metz.fr

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