Wideband frequency tunable optoelectronic oscillator based on a dispersion compensated microwave photonic filter

A wideband tunable optoelectronic oscillator (OEO) based on a dispersion compensated phase modulated microwave photonics filter (MPF) is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. The MPF, consisting of a tunable laser source (TLS), a phase modulator, a fiber Bragg grating Fabry–Perot filter and a photodetector, is used as the oscillating mode selection device. Dual-loop configuration is employed to make sure the OEO operates at a single oscillating mode. Theoretically analysis is carried out to demonstrate the tuning range limitation due to the phase-modulation to intensity-modulation conversion caused by long single mode fiber (SMF). To overcome this disadvantage and expand the signal tuning range, a dispersion compensation fiber is introduced followed by the SMF to compensate the fiber dispersion. By simply adjusting the wavelength of the TLS, an ultra-wideband tunable microwave signal with the frequency tuning range from 2 to 44 GHz is obtained. The phase noise is also investigated and measured to be less than − 110 dBc/Hz at an offset of 10 kHz within the whole frequency range.