Abstract

We demonstrate a new approach, i.e., a cw dual-frequency Brillouin fiber laser pumped by two independent single-frequency Er-doped fiber lasers, for the generation of tunable low-noise rf/microwave optical signals. Its inherent features of both linewidth narrowing effect in a Brillouin fiber cavity and common mode noise cancellation between two laser modes sharing a common cavity allow us to achieve high frequency stability without using a supercavity. Beat frequency of the dual-frequency Brillouin fiber laser can be tuned from tens of megahertz up to $100\mathrm{GHz}$ by thermally tuning the wavelengths of the two pump lasers with tuning sensitivity of $\sim 1.4\mathrm{GHz}∕°\mathrm{C}$. Allan variance measurements show the beat signals have the hertz-level frequency stability.

© 2007 Optical Society of America

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