Low Phase Noise Microwave Generation from a Direct-Modulation Optoelectronic Oscillator (DM-OEO)

Optoelectronic oscillators (OEO) have become of paramount importance for the generation of high spectral purity, (optically-carried) microwave signals. The most widespread architecture uses a Mach-Zehnder Modulator as the generator of the RF modulation [1] . Direct modulation of the injection current of a semi-conductor laser, arguably the simplest possible OEO [2] , has been comparatively much less explored [3] .