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OPTICAL MIXING TECHNIQUES

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 OPTICAL MIXING TECHNIQUES

S. BLANC(1), T. MERLET(1), B. CABON(2)

(1) THALES AIR DEFENCE Hameau de Roussigny, 91470 LIMOURS - FRANCE

Email: stephane-j.blanc@fr.thalesgroup.com

(2) IMEP, Institut de Microélectronique, Electromagnétisme et Photonique

UMR 5130 INPG-UJF-CNRS, ENSERG, BP 257, 38016 GRENOBLE CEDEX 1- France

ABSTRACT In this case, after each up-conversion, only one mixing

In complex optical communication systems, mixing is
needed to up-convert and down-convert the microwave
signal. Classical techniques and advanced schemes of
optical mixing are presented and compared each other,
with respect to photonic-microwave mixer
performances.
INTRODUCTION
In recent years, optical fiber links for microwave signals
break trough an increasing number of applications in
communication systems. Among the large panel of
functions needed in these systems, mixing appears to be
an interesting candidate for an optical implementation to
overcome the microwave mixers limitations. For
instance, isolation among different signals is primordial
to ensure detection accuracy in radar systems, or to
ensure low crosstalk in communication systems.
High operating frequencies of Electronic Warfare ( up
to 20 GHz typically), satellites missions ( Ka band ) or
radio-over-fibre (60 GHz band) face limitations of
microwaves devices. Some of these limitation are
overcome by optical mixing, for example it increases
the available operating frequencies with in more new
functionnalities.
The Intermediate Frequency (IF) results from the down-
conversion of the RF signal, whereas the RF signal
comes from the up-conversion of a base band signal.
Both up and down-conversion result will be called IF in
this paper.
The mixer performances shall be expressed in terms of
conversion loss and isolation among RF, Local
Oscillator (LO) and IF signals. This two parameters are
correlated with the performances of the entire systems.
In a reception channel, the link loss has to be minimised
to limit the Noise Factor. As a consequence, to ensure a
reception channel with low NF, the conversion loss
shall be decreased.
The isolation shall be increased to avoid crosstalk in
communication systems, or to achieve the required
image frequency rejection or the parasitic spectrum
lines filtering in radar systems.
product is useful, and it requires an adequate filtering.
According to the current microwave technologies, the
band-pass filter slopes are limited, so that it is necessary
to separate the LO frequency and the RF frequency. By
taking into account this limitation, the up-conversion is
achieved in two or three steps, allowing a high
cancellation of each LO frequency in the emitted signal
as shown in Figure 1.
Power (a.u.)
Base band LO2 LO1 frequency
signal
Figure 1: up-conversion of the base band signal
The up-conversion of the base band signal is
represented in Figure 1. For example only the sum
product of the mixing between the base band signal and
the LO2 is kept. This signal is then mixed with the LO1,
generating the difference product corresponding to the
emitted signal. This later can be generated by optical
way.
In this paper, we present several architectures of optical
mixing. The different methods are compared in terms of
conversion loss, isolation between the signals and
required power.
OPTICAL MIXING ARCHITECTURES
Basic optical mixing techniques which have been
largely published1,2,3,4, are reported here as well as other
advanced schemes of optical mixing.
Double modulation of the optical link
The easiest way to implement the optical mixing is first
to modulate an analogue optical link with both the LO
and RF signals. One of the signal modulation (LO for
instance) is provided through an external modulator,
the other either on a direct modulation or on a second
external modulation. In both case, the quadratic
detection yields IF frequency.
 Conversion of the frequency modulation into a
Direct modulation and external modulation intensity modulation

The previous mixing techniques are based on the

Figure 2 represents the optical mixing scheme M1 that intensity modulation (IM) of the light. One can also
combines a direct modulation and an external benefit of chirp effect5 that provides Frequency
modulation. Modulation (FM) in direct modulation scheme. With an
interferometer3 the FM is converted into IM. That
allows to detect the mixing product.
LO M1
M3
LO
RF laser photodiode laser UMZ photodiode
RF
Figure 2 : optical mixing scheme M1 - combining a
Figure 4 : optical mixing scheme M 3 - use of an
direct and an external modulation
Unbalanced passive Mach Zenhder Modulator
At the detection stage the two signals are mixed and
Figure 4 represents the mixer, M3, achieved by
yield an IF signal. The IF microwave power is
conversion of the FM into intensity modulation. The
expressed as :
2 interferometer is an Unbalanced Mach-Zehnder (UMZ)
 2 ⋅ PRF 
   modulator whose design is dedicated to the operating
Z ⋅ J  π ⋅ 2 ⋅ Z ⋅ PRF
1 with I, the detected
⋅ Z ⋅ ⋅I
   frequencies.
 I O − I S
1
2  Vπ  
  The mixing scheme 3 leads to an IF power of :
intensity, Z, the load impedance, PRF, the input signal 2 ⋅ Pi
α⋅
⋅ Z ⋅ (J1 (2 ⋅ β LO )⋅ J1 (2 ⋅ β RF )⋅ I )
1 Z
power, and, Io-Is, and the difference between the laser with β i =
2

bias Io and threshold current Is. 2 2 ⋅ (I O − I S )

This mixing scheme shall provide an up-converted
frequency (IF) in the range of 40 GHz, limited by
RF=10 GHz (direct modulation) and by LO=30 GHz
(external modulation).
Double external modulation
To reach higher mixing frequencies required by the
communications systems, the direct modulation scheme
is replaced by an other external modulator.
with α, the Henry factor of the laser, Pi, is the LO/RF
power. This mixing scheme is still based on a direct
modulation, that limits the working frequencies to 10
GHz and performs an up-conversion frequency in the
range of 20 GHz. The Unbalanced Mach-Zenhder, basis
of the optical mixer, is a passive component, with low
loss that decreases the conversion loss. The main
advantage of this scheme lives in the capacity to up-
convert wavelength multiplexed signals with a single
interferometer3.

RF LO M2 Mixing based on a heterodyne source

Laser photodiode For transmission purpose, the heterodyne sources have

CW been largely studied6,7. A heterodyne source provides
two optical wavelengths whose beating is spaced from
the LO frequency. Optical Phase Lock Loop8 or Dual
Figure 3 : optical mixing scheme M2 - cascading two Frequency Laser7 are based on such principle. Their
external modulations operating frequencies can reach 100 GHz and even
The optical mixing scheme M2 is performed by the more, offering large potentiality to optical mixing.
insertion inside an externally modulated link of an other To this aim, three solutions based respectively on an
modulator. The resulting IF signal power is equal to : external modulation, a single side band modulation and
2 a frequency shift are presented in the following.
1   π ⋅ 2 ⋅ Z ⋅ PRF   π ⋅ 2 ⋅ Z ⋅ PLO   .
⋅ Z ⋅  2 ⋅ J1   ⋅ J1  ⋅I
2   Vπ   Vπ  
      External modulation
This second optical mixer provides up-converted signals
in the range of 60 GHz and permits to address radio A heterodyne source in conjunction with external
over fibre frequencies. Though, it suffers from high modulation of each wavelength is the easiest way to
insertion loss ( typically 5 dB per modulator) that performed the mixing as in the scheme M4.
dramatically increases conversion loss of the mixer
 RF M4

Heterodyne RF M6
LO photodiode
source
Heterodyne Freq.
LO photodiode
source shifter
Figure 5 : optical mixing scheme M4 - combining a
heterodyne source and an external modulation
Figure 7 : optical mixing scheme M6 - combining a
heterodyne source and a frequency shifter
Figure 5 represents the mixing scheme M4 based on the
combining of a heterodyne source locked on the LO
signal and an external modulation fed by the RF signal. Figure 7 represents the mixing scheme M6 based on the
The resulting IF signal power is equal to : combining of the heterodyne source and the frequency
2
1   π ⋅ 2 ⋅ Z ⋅ PRF   for a LO power = 10 dBm, shifting. Only two wavelengths are available in the
 
⋅ Z ⋅ 4 ⋅ J1   ⋅I
2   Vπ   optical spectrum with a beating frequency equal to the
    Intermediate Frequency. The resulting IF signal power
( ) for LO power
required to lock the heterodyne source. 1 2
is equal to : ⋅ Z ⋅ γ ⋅ 2 ⋅ Z ⋅ PRF ⋅ I
According to the locking frequency of the heterodyne 2
source, the up-converted Intermediate Frequency is not = 10 dBm, with γ, a parameter depending on the
intrinsically limited and allows to down and up-convert interaction efficiency between the microwave and
in communication systems. optical field in the frequency shifter.
Nevertheless, input signals (LO and RF) are not filtered The up-conversion frequency is not limited and the LO-
and leads to poor rejection compared to IF signal. IF and RF-IF isolation is very high. This advanced
concept provides the highest performances.
Single Side Band modulator
THEORETICAL PERFORMANCES
The previous solution shall be improved with a Single
Side Band modulator to avoid parasitic frequencies. Six optical mixing architectures, M1,.., M6, have been
presented in the previous part. A comparison between
RF M5 each mixing scheme is performed in the following, in
terms of conversion loss, isolation between the signals
LO Heterodyne SSB photodiode and required power.
source All the parameters are fixed for the numerical
applications. Giving the load, Z, equal to 50 Ω, the
detected intensity to 1 mA and the bias point, Vπ, to 5V,
Figure 6: optical mixing scheme M5 - combining a the conversion loss has been computed.
heterodyne source and a single side band modulator
Mixing PLO PRF Conversion Isolation Isolation
Figure 6 represents the mixing scheme M5 based on a scheme dBm dBm loss (dB) RF/OL RF,OL/IF
heterodyne source combined with a single side band Micro- 10 - 0- 7 25 dB 25 dB
modulator. The resulting IF signal power shall be wave 20 10
expressed as : 1 < 24 < 19 40 ∞ - 5 // 50*
   π ⋅ 2 ⋅ Z ⋅ PRF   . for
 π ⋅ 2 ⋅ Z ⋅ PRF
2 2 < 19 <19 38 ∞ - 5 // 50*
1
⋅ Z ⋅  4 ⋅ J1   ⋅ J0  ⋅I  3 < 24 <24 51 20 dB 20 // >50*
2    
Vπ V  
    π   4 10 <19 28 ∞ - 5 // 50*
a LO power = 10 dBm, required to lock the heterodyne 5 10 <19 39 ∞ 1 // 50*
source. 6 10 19 26 ∞ > 50
The LO and RF harmonic power are lower, which leads
to a better isolation. Table 1: comparison of optical mixing performances (*
with the insertion of an impedance matching network at
Frequency shifter the photodetection stage)
Table 1 summarizes the performances of the different
This last method corresponds to the ultimate step and mixing schemes. The LO and RF signal power are
completely cancels the carrier. It transfers the entire specified to optimise the link, i.e. for example in a direct
optical power into an optical carrier shifted by the value modulation link, the modulation depth is equal to 1. The
of the RF frequency. Consequently all unwanted signals isolation RF/LO corresponds to the difference between
(RF and LO) have disappeared. the RF power detected in the LO signal and the LO
signal power, and respectively for the RF/IF and LO/IF
 isolation. The conversion loss is defined as the
difference between the IF detected power and the RF
power that feed the optical mixer.
Conversion loss
Compared to a microwave mixer the optical mixer
conversion loss is largely higher. It stands in the range
of 25 – 50 dB largely due to the Electric/Optic and O/E
conversion loss.
With an impedance matching network at the
Intermediate Frequency, the conversion loss can be
reduced9.
A fixed power is required for locking the heterodyne
source on the LO signal and for feeding the optical
frequency shifter. In microwave devices, the LO power
shall be higher than a fixed value to polarise the diode.
In optical mixing, such precaution is not needed.
Among the six optical mixing, the latest is the most
efficient in terms of conversion losses and required
power.
Isolation
Except for the M3 case, the RF and LO signals
modulate the optical carrier, consequently the RF-LO
isolation is infinite. For the third case, the isolation is
mainly due to the microwave combiner. Typically, it
stands around 20 dB.
The RF-IF or LO-RF isolation depends on the mixing
scheme. The fundamental frequencies are not rejected
by the mixing solution based on a modulation of an
optical link. Their power is even higher than the one of
the mixing product. The solutions based on a
heterodyne source and a classical or Single Side Band
modulator leads to the same result. Nevertheless an
impedance matching on the photodiode centred on the
Intermediate Frequencies shall yield isolation 50 dB
higher than the two first solutions.
The last solution is the most efficient in terms of
isolation. In fact the two optical wavelengths are
separated from the Intermediate Frequency and the
fundamental frequencies RF and LO are not present in
the optical spectra.
Discussion
The different optical mixing schemes have been
compared in terms of conversion loss and isolation. For
system implementation the technology maturity and the
simplicity of the architecture is an important aspect of
the comparison.
The mixing based on the modulation in the optical link
is composed of devices available on the market.
Moreover they show an easy implementation, requiring
the addition of one component per link compared to a
point to point link. The mixing performances shall be
increased with a matching network.
The other solutions are based on laboratory studies. The
mixing scheme using a heterodyne source and a
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frequency shifter is very attractive for the optical
mixing, providing very high isolation and lower
conversion loss.
CONCLUSION
Several optical mixing architectures have been
presented according to communication system needs in
terms of up and down-conversion. New architectures
based on undergoing studies devoted to heterodyne
sources are proposed. They exhibit bandwidths
compatible with radio over fibre applications.
The comparison of those microwave-optical mixers with
pure microwave mixers shows higher conversion loss of
optical devices, but higher isolation LO/RF. More over
it shows opportunities to increase the LO-RF/IF
isolation by impedance matching at the working
frequency.
An almost very large bandwidth “ideal” mixer shall be
achieved with a Local Oscillator locked heterodyne
source in conjunction with a frequency shifter.
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