Photonic Sampler for Millimeter-Wave Signals up to 70 GHz Using a 1-GHz Mode-Locked Laser and a Silicon Photonic Integrated Circuit

Abstract

This work presents a photonic RF-sampling system using a silicon-photonic PIC and a 1−GHz10.5−fs-jitter modelocked laser, demonstrating photonic downconversion, sampling, and demodulation of complex QAM signals at millimeter-wave frequencies up to 70 GHz, with potential for satellite communications.