Integrated Ultra‐Wideband Dynamic Microwave Frequency Identification System in Lithium Niobate on Insulator
Liheng Wang, Zhen Han, Yong Zheng, Pu Zhang, Yongheng Jiang, Huifu Xiao, BinJie Wang, Mei Xian Low, Aditya Dubey, Thach G. Nguyen, Andreas Boes, Guanghui Ren, Ming Li, Arnan Mitchell, Yonghui Tian
Abstract
Abstract The capability to identify the frequency of unknown microwave signals with an ultra‐wide measurement bandwidth is highly desirable in radar astronomy, satellite communication, and 6G networks. Compared to electronic solutions, the integrated photonic technology‐enabled dynamic instantaneous frequency measurement (DIFM) approach is attractive as it offers unique advantages, such as ultra‐wide frequency measurement bandwidth, high flexibility, and immunity to electromagnetic interference. However, so far the bandwidth of the reported DIFM systems based on integrated photonic technology is limited to below 30 GHz due to the finite bandwidth of electro‐optical modulators (EOMs), limiting their applications, particularly in the field of millimeter wave technology (30–300 GHz). Here, the first integrated dynamic microwave instantaneous frequency measurement system with a record‐breaking operation bandwidth (ranging from 5 to 65 GHz) and low root‐mean‐square (RMS) error (≈300 MHz) is presented on the lithium niobate on insulator (LNOI) integrated photonic platform. This demonstration paves the way for high‐performance millimeter wave photonic integrated devices using the LNOI platform.