Amplification-free electro-optical oscillator

An electro-optical oscillator comprising:

• an optical modulators adapted to generate a pair of modulated differential optical signals;
• a splitter adapted to split the modulated differential optical signals into a first N differential optical signals and a second N differential optical signals, the splitter delivering each of the first N optical signals to a different one of first N optical paths, and delivering each of the second N optical signals to a different one of second N optical paths, N being an integer greater than one;
• a first N photo-diodes each adapted to convert a different one of the first N optical signals to a current signal;
• a second N photo-diodes each adapted to convert a different one of the second N optical signals to a current signal;
• a first signal combiner adapted to combine the N current signals received from the first N photo-diodes to generate a differentially positive signal;
• a second signal combiner adapted to combine the N current signals received from the second N photo-diodes to generate a differentially negative signal;
• a first filter adapted to filter the differentially positive signal to generate a first feedback signal and apply the first feedback signal to the optical modulator;
• and
• a second filter adapted to filter the differentially negative signal to generate a second feedback signal and apply the second feedback signal to the optical modulator.

A method of generating an oscillating signal, the method comprising:

• modulating an optical signal;
• splitting the modulated optical signal into N optical signals each delivered to a different one of N optical paths, N being an integer greater than one;
• converting each of the N optical signals to a current signal;
• combining the N current signals to generate a combined current signal;
• filtering the combined current signal to generate a feedback signal;
• and
• applying the feedback in generating the modulated optical signal.

A method of generating an oscillating signal, the method comprising:

• modulating an optical signal to generating a pair of modulated differential signals;
• splitting a first one of the pair of modulated differential signals into a first N differential optical signals each delivered to a different one of first N optical paths;
• splitting a second one of the pair of modulated differential signals into a second N differential optical signals each delivered to a different one of second N optical paths;
• converting the optical signal delivered to each of the first N optical paths to generate a first N current signals;
• converting the optical signal delivered to each of the second N optical paths to generate a second N current signals;
• combining the first N current signals to generate a differentially positive current signal;
• combining the second N current signals to generate a differentially negative current signal;
• filtering the differentially positive current signal to generate a first feedback signal;
• filtering the differentially negative current signal to generate a second feedback signal;
• modulating the optical signal in accordance with the first feedback signal to generate a first one of the pair of modulated differential signals;
• and
• modulating the optical signal in accordance with the second feedback signal to generate a second one of the pair of modulated differential signals.