Stable Arbitrary Frequency Generator

Abstract: We demonstrate a technique to precisely control and stabilize the beat frequency of a photonic microwave signal generator based on beating the optical signals of two lasers on a high-speed photodetector. The approach does not require high-speed electronic circuitry, but allows the control of the generated signal frequency up to hundreds of GHz. The demonstrated technique can readily be integrated on a chip-scale device using heterogeneous silicon platform, opening possibilities for widespread use in signal generation, sensing, instrumentation, and communications.