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Large-scale photonic chip based pulse interleaver for low-noise microwave generation

Author

Listed:
  • Zheru Qiu

    (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL)
    Center for Quantum Science and Engineering, EPFL)

  • Neetesh Singh

    (Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron)

  • Yang Liu

    (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL)
    Center for Quantum Science and Engineering, EPFL)

  • Xinru Ji

    (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL)
    Center for Quantum Science and Engineering, EPFL)

  • Rui Ning Wang

    (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL)
    Center for Quantum Science and Engineering, EPFL
    Luxtelligence SA)

  • Franz X. Kärtner

    (Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron
    Universität Hamburg)

  • Tobias Kippenberg

    (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL)
    Center for Quantum Science and Engineering, EPFL)

Abstract

Optically generated microwaves exhibit unprecedented low noise, benefiting applications such as communications, radar, instrumentation, and metrology. To date, the purest microwave signals are produced using optical frequency division with femtosecond mode-locked lasers. However, their typical repetition rates of hundreds of MHz require multiplication methods to reach the microwave domain. Here, we introduce a miniaturized photonic integrated circuit-based interleaver, achieving a 64-fold multiplication of the repetition rate from 216 MHz to 14 GHz in Ku-Band. With the interleaver, the generated microwave power was improved by 35 dB, with a phase noise floor reduced by more than 10 folds by alleviating photodetector saturation. Based on a low-loss and high-density Si3N4 waveguides, six cascaded stages of Mach-Zehnder interferometers with optical delay lines up to 33 centimeters long are fully integrated into a compact chip. Our result can significantly reduce the cost and footprint of mode-locked-laser-based microwave generation, enabling field deployment in aerospace and communication applications.

Suggested Citation

  • Zheru Qiu & Neetesh Singh & Yang Liu & Xinru Ji & Rui Ning Wang & Franz X. Kärtner & Tobias Kippenberg, 2025. "Large-scale photonic chip based pulse interleaver for low-noise microwave generation," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-7, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-59794-z
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-59794-z
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Junqiu Liu & Guanhao Huang & Rui Ning Wang & Jijun He & Arslan S. Raja & Tianyi Liu & Nils J. Engelsen & Tobias J. Kippenberg, 2021. "High-yield, wafer-scale fabrication of ultralow-loss, dispersion-engineered silicon nitride photonic circuits," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-9, December.
    2. Fuchang Gao & Lixing Han, 2012. "Implementing the Nelder-Mead simplex algorithm with adaptive parameters," Computational Optimization and Applications, Springer, vol. 51(1), pages 259-277, January.
    3. Minji Hyun & Changmin Ahn & Yongjin Na & Hayun Chung & Jungwon Kim, 2020. "Attosecond electronic timing with rising edges of photocurrent pulses," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 11(1), pages 1-9, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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