On the development of photonic rf oscillators and resonant electro-optic modulators for advanced RF front-end applications

We present our recent results on the development of low-noise photonic RF oscillators as well as single sideband electro-optic modulators/mixers enabling novel photonic transmitters and receivers suitable for microwave applications, including phased array systems. In particular, we report on the study and the performance of an all-dielectric RF photonic receiver based on optical whispering gallery mode (WGM) resonator technology. We also discuss ultra-compact power-efficient opto-electronic oscillators based on high-Q WGM resonators. These devices, suitable for applications in systems requiring small size, weight, and power (SWaP), operate in a broad frequency range generating spectrally pure RF signals characterized with record low phase noise. An example of a tiny radar transmitter and receiver based on this technology is described.