Abstract

A novel photonics-assisted method for frequency up/down-conversion based on an integrated dual-polarization dual-parallel Mach–Zehnder modulator (DP-DPMZM) with tunable optoelectronic oscillator (OEO) and phase shift is presented. The local oscillator (LO) signal with high spectral purity and low phase noise is generated by an OEO loop in one of the sub-DPMZMs. The frequency can be adjusted by an electrical bandpass filter (EBPF). The radio frequency (RF) signal is injected into another sub-DPMZM. The carrier-suppressed single-sideband (CS-SSB) modulation of both the LO and RF signals is achieved. The phase of the converted signal can be tuned by an integrated dual-channel phase modulator (DPM). Frequency up/down-conversion can be switched by tuning a single bias voltage of the DP-DPMZM. Multiple functions, including tunable LO signal generation, up/down-conversion and phase shifting, can be realized. Moreover, dispersion-induced power fading is well compensated due to CS-SSB modulation. In the experiments, the tunable LO signal from 5 to 18 GHz, with a sidemode suppression ratio as high as 46.1 dB and a phase noise level of −104.5 dBc/Hz @ 10 kHz at 10 GHz, is generated successfully. The spur suppression ratios of the up/down-converted signals are 32.6 dB and 35.6 dB, respectively. The up/down conversion performance for RF carrying 16 quadrature amplitude modulation (16-QAM) signal is also investigated. The phase shifting of dual-channel converted signals can be varied continuously and independently in the range of 0–360°, and the phase deviation is ±1.8°. The proposed compact link is characterized by function multiplexing and inherent dispersion compensation.

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