Ultra wideband frequency chirp millimetre-wave signal generation using electro-optic modulation

Abstract

We describe ultra wideband frequency control of millimetre-wave and lightwave signals using optical single-sideband modulation. Precise and rapid frequency control can be achieved by digital arbitrary waveform generation and high-speed electro-optic modulation. Frequency multiplication in optical modulators also plays important roles. Ultra-wideband frequency chirp signals from 9.6 GHz to 16 GHz, which were generated by using a computer controlled arbitrary waveform generator and a wideband frequency multiplier, were fed to an optical single-sideband modulator consisting of two sub Mach-Zehnder interferometers.