V- and W-band microwave generation and modulation using semiconductor lasers at period-one nonlinear dynamics

Microwave generation and modulation over the V- and W-bands are investigated using a semiconductor laser subject to both comb-like optical injection and direct modulation. The former not only excites period-one (P1) nonlinear dynamics for tunable microwave generation but also improves the stability and purity of such generated microwaves. The latter upconverts data onto the generated microwaves by superimposing the data effectively only onto the lower oscillation sideband of the P1 dynamics, which prevents the data from dispersion-induced degradation over fiber distribution. As a result, microwaves that are continuously tunable from 40 to 110 GHz with a 3-dB linewidth of less than 1 Hz and with phase noise better than -95 dBc/Hz at 10-kHz offset are generated. A bit-error ratio better than the forward error correction limit, 3.8 x 10(-3), is achieved for 12-Gb/s 16-quadrature amplitude modulation data after 25-km fiber distribution. (C) 2020 Optical Society of America