System for optical injection phase locking and switching of microwave oscillators
AssigneeHughes Aircraft Company
InventorsRobert G. Hunsperger, Michael K. Barnoski, Huan-Wun Yen
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Abstract
In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a microwave signal is used to modulate a laser diode and the resultant modulated light output energy from the laser diode is applied through an optical fiber waveguide to the active solid state component in a microwave oscillator circuit such that the output signal from the microwave oscillator is phase locked to the modulation carried by the light energy. The invention allows optical injection phase locking to be achieved not only at the fundamental frequency of the modulating signal, but also at various harmonics thereof; and "on-off" switching of the microwave oscillator can be controlled simultaneously with phase locking.
Claims18
A system for producing phase synchronized output signals, comprising:
- means for producing a modulated light signal which is sinusoidally modulated at a preselected frequency;
- a first oscillator having an active solid state component;
- and
- means for applying said light signal to said active solid state component so as to cause the output energy from said first oscillator to be phase synchronized with the modulation component of said light signal.
An optically synchronized microwave oscillator system, comprising:
- means for producing a light signal whose intensity is sinusoidally modulated at a microwave frequency;
- a first microwave oscillator comprising an active solid state component in a microwave cavity structure;
- and
- an optical fiber waveguide, coupled between said means for producing a light signal and said active solid state component, for applying said light signal to said active solid state component;
- whereby the output energy from said microwave oscillator is phase synchronized with the modulation component of said light signal.
A microwave oscillator system adapted for being optically phase locked and switched, comprising:
- means for selectively producing a light signal which has a modulation component which is sinusoidally modulated at a preselected frequency and a dc component;
- a microwave oscillator comprising an active solid state component in a microwave cavity structure having a port formed therein and means for biasing said solid state component below the oscillation threshold in the absence of the application of said light signal to said solid state component but so that said oscillator oscillates when illuminated by said light signal;
- and
- an optical fiber waveguide coupled from said means for producing a light signal and through said port to said active solid state component so as to apply said light signal to said active solid state component so as to cause the output energy from said microwave oscillator to be phase synchronized with the modulation component of said light signal.
An optically synchronized microwave oscillator system, comprising:
- means for producing a light signal whose intensity is modulated so as to have a modulation component which varies sinusoidally at a microwave frequency;
- a first microwave oscillator comprising an active solid state component in a microwave cavity structure;
- and
- means for applying said light signal to said active solid state component so as to cause the output energy from said first oscillator to be in phase synchronization with said sinusoidally varying modulation component of said light signal or with one of its harmonics.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.