Abstract
In this work we preset a new technique for measurement of harmonic
distortion in microwave photodiodes. Our technique combines optical combs
and high-resolution optical filtering to provide a pure optical two-tone
excitation of the photodiode. Our technique removes the
challenges presented by laser frequency drift and modulator bias control by
utilizing a single laser and phase-modulation to synthesize the optical
combs. We demonstrate our technique through measurement of the harmonic
distortion generated in a commercial InGaAs photodiode and compare our
results with those obtained via phase-locked laser measurements. We show
that this technique provides essentially equivalent measurement fidelity to
phase-locked laser techniques while offering decreased system complexity. We
additionally provide a general discussion of the limits of nonlinearity
measurements performed using optical heterodyne techniques.
© 2010 IEEE
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