New results with the opto-electronic oscillators (OEO)

A new class of oscillators based on photonic devices is presented. These opto-electronic oscillators (OEOs) generate microwave oscillation by converting continuous energy from a light source using a feedback circuit which includes a delay element, an electro-optic switch, and a photodetector. Different configurations of OEOs are presented, each of which may be applied to a particular application requiring ultra-high performance, or low cost and small size.