Measurements of Optical-Heterodyne Conversion in Low-Temperature Grown

Abstract

A low-temperature-grown GaAs interdigitated-electrode photomixer is used to generate coherent power at microwave frequencies. An output power of 200 microwatts ( - 7 dBm) is generated by pumping the photomixer with two 70-mW modes of a Ti:Al 203 laser, separated in frequency by 200 MHz. This represents an optical-to-microwave conversion efficiency of 0.14%, which is within 50% of a prediction based on optical-heterodyne theory. When two lasers are used and the frequency of one is tuned with respect to the other, the output frequency of the photomixer increases smoothly and the output power is nearly constant up to 20 GHz. At higher frequencies the power decays because of parasitic capacitance.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 15, 1993
Accession Number
ADA268367

Entities

People

  • C. L. Dennis
  • E. R. Brown
  • F. W. Smith
  • K. A. Mcintosh
  • M. J. Manfra

Organizations

  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Capacitance
  • Conversion
  • Detection
  • Detectors
  • Efficiency
  • Electrodes
  • Field Effect Transistors
  • Frequency
  • Infrared Detection
  • Low Temperature
  • Microwave Frequency
  • Microwaves
  • Optoelectronic Devices
  • Quantum Wells
  • Radiation
  • Semiconductors
  • Standing Waves

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Electronics Engineering
  • Optical Physics and Photonics.

Technology Areas

  • Directed Energy