A PHOTONIC-LINK MILLIMETER-WAVE MIXER USING CASCADED OPTICAL MODULATORS AND HARMONIC CARRIER GENERATION

Efficient frequency conversion into and out of the millimeter wave fre quency band has been demonstrated using photonic link signal mixing wi th cascaded optical modulators, By adjusting the modulator bias point and RF drive power to the modulator introducing the local oscillator s ignal at f(LO) = 8.8 GHz, frequency conversions from f(s) to f(LO) +/- f(s), 2f(LO) +/- f(s), and 4f(LO) +/- f(s) with respective losses of 4.8, 6.3, and 7.5 dB have been demonstrated, The direct phase noise me asurement of the optical RF signal at 2f(LO) = 17.6 GHz with 1 kHz off set shows -89 dBc/Hz, limited by the RF drive source.