V-band ultra-fast tunable thin-film lithium niobate Fourier-domain mode-locked optoelectronic oscillator

Rui Ma; Zijun Huang; X. Steve Yao; Peng Hao; Wei Ke; Xinlun Cai

doi:10.1038/s41377-025-01988-7

Your Location：

Home >

Browse articles >

V-band ultra-fast tunable thin-film lithium niobate Fourier-domain mode-locked optoelectronic oscillator

Original Articles

- V-band ultra-fast tunable thin-film lithium niobate Fourier-domain mode-locked optoelectronic oscillator
- Light: Science & Applications Vol. 14, Issue 12, Pages: 4204-4213(2025)
- Affiliations：
  
  1.State Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Technologies, School of Electronics and Information Technology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
  2.Photonics Information Innovation Center and Hebei Provincial Center for Optical Sensing Innovations, College of Physics Science and Technology, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China
  3.NuVison Photonics, Inc., Las Vegas, NV 89109, USA
  4.Hefei National Laboratory, Hefei 230088, China
- Author bio：
  
  X. Steve Yao (syao@ieee.org)
  Peng Hao (haopeng@hbu.edu.cn)
  Xinlun Cai (caixlun5@mail.sysu.edu.cn)
- Funds：
- DOI：10.1038/s41377-025-01988-7
  CLC：
- Received：06 December 2024，
  
  Revised：2025-06-25，
  
  Accepted：25 July 2025，
  
  Published Online：11 December 2025，
  
  Published：31 December 2025
- Accepted：
Scan QR Code
Ma, R. et al. V-band ultra-fast tunable thin-film lithium niobate Fourier-domain mode-locked optoelectronic oscillator. Light: Science & Applications, 14, 4204-4213 (2025).
DOI：

Ma, R. et al. V-band ultra-fast tunable thin-film lithium niobate Fourier-domain mode-locked optoelectronic oscillator. Light: Science & Applications, 14, 4204-4213 (2025). DOI： 10.1038/s41377-025-01988-7.

摘要

Abstract

We demonstrate the first Fourier-domain mode-locked optoelectronic oscillator (FDML OEO) fabricated on the thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) platform

deploying an electrically tuned ultra-fast frequency-scanning filter

thanks to the high-speed Pockels effect in TFLN. Record-breaking high radiofrequency oscillations up to 65 GHz are achieved

with a phase noise more than 14 dB less at 50 GHz than that of a high-performance commercial signal source at an offset frequency of 10 kHz away from the carrier. A linearly chirped microwave waveform with an unprecedented scanning bandwidth of 30 GHz

corresponding to an impressive chirp rate of 5.7 GHz/μs and a large time-bandwidth product of 159054

is successfully generated by the FDML OEO. These results validate the feasibility of utilizing TFLN to fabricate integrated FDML OEOs capable of delivering ultra-wide scanning bandwidth at chirp rates and frequencies not attainable with any other approaches to date.

关键词

Keywords

references

Klauder, J. R. et al. The theory and design of chirp radars. Bell Syst. Tech. J. 39 , 745–808 (1960)..

Barton, D. K. Radar System Analysis and Modeling (Artech House, 2005).

Koenig, S. et al. Wireless sub-THz communication system with high data rate. Nat. Photonics 7 , 977–981 (2013)..

Win, M. Z. & Scholtz, R. A. Ultra-wide bandwidth time-hopping spread-spectrum impulse radio for wireless multiple-access communications. IEEE Trans. Commun. 48 , 679–689 (2000)..

Guvenc, I. et al. Detection, tracking, and interdiction for amateur drones. IEEE Commun. Mag. 56 , 75–81 (2018)..

Almorox-Gonzalez, P. et al. Portable high resolution LFM-CW radar sensor in millimeter-wave band. In Proc. International Conference on Sensor Technologies and Applications (SENSORCOMM 2007) 5–9 (IEEE, 2007).

Su, K. et al. Experimental comparison of performance degradation from terahertz and infrared wireless links in fog. J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 29 , 179–184 (2012)..

Skolnik, M. Role of radar in microwaves. IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech. 50 , 625–632 (2002)..

Yang, Q. F. et al. Efficient microresonator frequency combs. eLight 4 , 18 (2024)..

Yao, B. C. et al. Interdisciplinary advances in microcombs: bridging physics and information technology. eLight 4 , 19 (2024)..

Qi, Y. F. et al. 1.79-GHz acquisition rate absolute distance measurement with lithium niobate electro-optic comb. Nat. Commun. 16 , 2889 (2025)..

Kwon, H. & Kang, B. Linear frequency modulation of voltage-controlled oscillator using delay-line feedback. IEEE Microw. Wirel. Compon. Lett. 15 , 431–433 (2005)..

Griffiths, H. D. & Bradford, W. J. Digital generation of high time-bandwidth product linear FM waveforms for radar altimeters. IEE Proc. F Radar Signal Process 139 , 160–169 (1992)..

Zhu, R. et al. Photonic generation of flexible ultra-wide linearly-chirped microwave waveforms. Opt. Express 29 , 43731–43744 (2021)..

Fortier, T. M. et al. Generation of ultrastable microwaves via optical frequency division. Nat. Photonics 5 , 425–429 (2011)..

Zou, W. W. et al. All-optical central-frequency-programmable and bandwidth-tailorable radar. Sci. Rep. 6 , 19786 (2016) ..

Li, Y. H. et al. Photonic generation of W-band arbitrary waveforms with high time-bandwidth products enabling 3.9 mm range resolution. Optica 1 , 446–454 (2014)..

Moslemi, P. & Chen, L. R. Simultaneously generating multiple chirped microwave pulses with superimposed FBGs. IEEE Photonics Technol. Lett. 29 , 1387–1390 (2017)..

Wun, J. M. et al. Photonic chirped radio-frequency generator with ultra-fast sweeping rate and ultra-wide sweeping range. Opt. Express 21 , 11475–11481 (2013)..

Zhou, P. et al. Linearly chirped microwave waveform generation with large time-bandwidth product by optically injected semiconductor laser. Opt. Express 24 , 18460–18467 (2016)..

Tang, J. et al. Hybrid Fourier-domain mode-locked laser for ultra-wideband linearly chirped microwave waveform generation. Nat. Commun. 11 , 3814 (2020)..

Hao, T. F. et al. Breaking the limitation of mode building time in an optoelectronic oscillator. Nat. Commun. 9 , 1839 (2018)..

Hao, T. F. et al. Dual-chirp Fourier domain mode-locked optoelectronic oscillator. Opt. Lett. 44 , 1912–1915 (2019)..

Kim, C. et al. Parity-time symmetry enabled ultra-efficient nonlinear optical signal processing. eLight 4 , 6 (2024)..

Chi, H., Wang, C. & Yao, J. P. Photonic generation of wideband chirped microwave waveforms. IEEE J. Microw. 1 , 787–803 (2021)..

Ma, R. et al. Ka-band thin film lithium niobate photonic integrated optoelectronic oscillator. Photonics Res. 12 , 1283–1293 (2024)..

Hao, T. F. et al. Tunable Fourier domain mode-locked optoelectronic oscillator using stimulated Brillouin scattering. IEEE Photonics Technol. Lett. 30 , 1842–1845 (2018)..

Hao, T. F. et al. Harmonically Fourier domain mode-locked optoelectronic oscillator. IEEE Photonics Technol. Lett. 31 , 427–430 (2019)..

Hao, P. et al. Fourier domain mode-locked opto-electronic oscillator with a diode-tuned bandpass filter. Opt. Express 28 , 23454–23466 (2020)..

Zhang, X. P. et al. Novel RF-source-free reconfigurable microwave photonic radar. Opt. Express 28 , 13650–13661 (2020)..

Wang, Y. L. et al. Spurious level and phase noise improved Fourier domain mode-locked optoelectronic oscillator based on a self-injection-locking technique. Opt. Express 29 , 7535–7543 (2021)..

Wang, L. et al. Generation of reconfigurable linearly chirped microwave waveforms based on Fourier domain mode-locked optoelectronic oscillator. J. Light. Technol. 40 , 85–92 (2022)..

Hong, X. et al. On-chip photonic generation of tunable wideband phase-coded linearly-chirped microwave waveforms. J. Light. Technol. 41 , 6199–6207 (2023)..

Hong, X. et al. Independently tunable dual-band linearly-chirped microwave waveforms generation on a silicon photonic chip. J. Light. Technol. 42 , 5476–5484 (2024)..

He, M. B. et al. High-performance hybrid silicon and lithium niobate Mach–Zehnder modulators for 100 Gbit s -1 and beyond. Nat. Photonics 13 , 359–364 (2019)..

Xu, M. Y. et al. High-performance coherent optical modulators based on thin-film lithium niobate platform. Nat. Commun. 11 , 3911 (2020)..

Tao, Mengxue. et al. Towards high quality transferred barium titanate ferroelectric hybrid integrated modulator on silicon. Light Adv. Manuf. 5 , 31 (2024)..

Yang, F. et al. Monolithic thin film lithium niobate electro-optic modulator with over 110 GHz bandwidth. Chin. Opt. Lett. 20 , 022502 (2022)..

Zhuang, R. J. et al. High- Q thin-film lithium niobate microrings fabricated with wet etching. Adv. Mater. 35 , 2370015 (2023)..

Yu, S. M. et al. Poling-assisted hydrofluoric acid wet etching of thin-film lithium niobate. Opt. Lett. 49 , 854–857 (2024)..

Chen, Y., Liu, S. F. & Pan, S. L. Multi-format signal generation using a frequency-tunable optoelectronic oscillator. Opt. Express 26 , 3404–3420 (2018)..

Feng, K. S. et al. Microwave photonic multiform microwave frequency shift keying signal generator. Opt. Express 30 , 36265–36282 (2022)..

Chen, Y., Zuo, P. C. & Shi, T. X. Optoelectronic oscillator for arbitrary microwave waveform generation. J. Light. Technol. 39 , 6033–6044 (2021)..

Do, P. T. et al. Wideband tunable microwave signal generation in a silicon-micro-ring-based optoelectronic oscillator. Sci. Rep. 10 , 6982 (2020)..

Ma, R. et al. Widely tunable Ka-band optoelectronic oscillator integrated on thin film lithium niobate platform. APL Photonics 9 , 096110 (2024)..

Han, Z. et al. Integrated ultra-wideband tunable Fourier domain mode-locked optoelectronic oscillator. Laser Photonics Rev. 19 , 2402094 (2025)..

Eliyahu, D., Seidel, D. & Maleki, L. Phase noise of a high performance OEO and an ultra low noise floor cross-correlation microwave photonic homodyne system. In Proc. IEEE International Frequency Control Symposium 811–814 (IEEE, 2008).

Wang, X. C. & Yao, X. S. Phase-locked opto-electronic oscillator (OEO) of ultralow phase noise with record-low Allan deviation of 3.4 × 10 -14 at 1 s. IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech. 71 , 5381–5392 (2023)..

Hao, P. et al. Dual-loop diode-tuned Fourier domain harmonically mode-locked opto-electronic oscillator with over 50 dB side-mode spur reduction. Opt. Express 30 , 45569–45582 (2022)..

Li, M. J. et al. Time-variant parity-time symmetry in frequency-scanning systems. Nat. Commun. 15 , 8710 (2024)..

Views

Downloads

CSCD

Alert me when the article has been cited

Submit

Tools

Publicity Resources

No data

Related Author

No data

Related Institution

No data

⁰