Photonic sources of pristine optical and microwave carriers

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Time, equivalently frequency, is the most precisely measured of all physical quantities. Almost all domains of physics and engineering rely on time and frequency metrology and hence on a reference oscillator. The random fluctuations of the phase of an oscillator limit the precision of time and frequency measurements. Research is proposed on optoelectronic oscillator (OEO) as a pure source of microwave carriers. The principal challenge is to achieve world-class performance attributes in combination. The goal is a tunable compact OEO with exceptionally low noise and high long-term stability targeting silicon photonic integration in one package. The strategy is to trade aggressively reduced noise for more compact components. The performance of novel oscillator architectures combined with noise suppression methods enable by an original solution to the tuning of interferometers and oscillators will be evaluated through theoretical modeling, verification by simulation and corroboration by test & measurement of discrete and integrated prototypes. Laser noise drives many of the noise mechanisms within an OEO. Serendipitously, both laser and OEO are examples of the same class of oscillator so similar noise reduction techniques to may be applied to lasers for OEO and other applications. There is a strong expectation of the generation of new knowledge in areas as diverse as: component noise mechanisms, noise measurement, noise suppression methods, automatic tuning control, coupled oscillator dynamics; and optoelectronic and electro-optic device hybridisation with silicon photonics. The noise and long-term stability of the system oscillator / clock is of major importance in applications such as optical & wireless communications, high speed digital electronics, radar & lidar, and astronomy. The development of such a source would have major impact, for example, on weather radar where very weak returns with small Doppler shifts relative to the carrier must be detected. With ever-increasing clock frequencies being used in digital systems, a fully integrated OEO would constitute a breakthrough in ICT. The research would also impact the generation of mm waves for 5G wireless and research into sources of THz radiation. The results of this program will benefit Canada by supporting the growth in ICT critical to a knowledge-based digital economy. It will contribute directly to wealth creation through new products and processes with a market impact. It will also support Canada's leading position in ICT by training of highly qualified personnel with transferable skills, which is the most effective means of knowledge transfer from academia to industry.