Optical Carrier-Suppressed Single Sideband Modulation Based on a Thin-Film Lithium Niobate IQ Modulator for FMCW Ranging Application
Xiaoyang Lei, Guochao Wang, Heyun Tan, Jian Tang, Huankai Zhang, Mingyue Yang, Zhongjin Lin, Lingxiao Zhu, Shuhua Yan, Xinlun Cai, Jun Yang
Abstract
Optical carrier-suppressed single sideband (OCS-SSB) signals are known for their easy detection, low noise, and high energy efficiency. Here, we develop a high-performance OCS-SSB signal generation system utilizing an integrated TFLN in-phase/quadrature (IQ) modulator, along with an automatic bias control (ABC) module. Our device can achieve a side-mode suppression ratio (SMSR) surpassed 20 dB, optimally reaching up to 29.53 dB, which covers a large electrical-optic bandwidth and central wavelength range. For long-term stability, the peak–to–peak fluctuation of SMSR was measured to be 1.79 dB, with an average SMSR value of 23.47 dB for nearly 8 hours. Furthermore, we successfully demonstrate that our device can be implemented in a frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) ranging detection, allowing the standard deviation no more than ±2.60 mm. Our system offers substantial potential for direct application in various chip-scale integrated fields, including LIDAR and microwave photonics.