Microwave signal generation device and method and electronic equipment

Abstract

The invention discloses a microwave signal generation device and method and electronic equipment, relates to the technical field of communication, and is used for providing multiple paths of low-phase-noise microwave signals. The device comprises a mode-locked laser, a first microwave photon phase discriminator and a plurality of local oscillator modules, the mode-locked laser is connected with the first microwave photon phase discriminator, and the first microwave photon phase discriminator is also respectively connected with the plurality of local oscillator modules; the mode-locked laser is used for outputting a first optical pulse signal; the plurality of local oscillator modules are used for outputting a plurality of local oscillator signals; the first microwave photon phase discriminator is used for modulating the phase of the first optical pulse signal according to the plurality of local oscillator signals so as to output a plurality of phase modulation signals; the plurality of local oscillator modules are also used for modulating phases of the plurality of local oscillator signals according to the plurality of phase modulation signals so as to output a plurality of microwave signals.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of communication, and in particular to a microwave signal generation device and method, and an electronic device. BACKGROUND

[0002] Low phase noise microwave signals can be applied in wireless communication devices, high-speed analog / digital converters, and large-scale basic research equipment (such as array telescopes). At present, low phase noise microwave signals can be provided by an opto-electronic oscillator (OEO), or a high-quality low phase noise microwave signal can be provided by using a mode-locked laser combined with a microwave local oscillator. Compared with the OEO, a mode-locked laser can generate microwave signals of multiple frequencies.

[0003] In related technologies, in the case of using a mode-locked laser, only a method of providing microwave signals by a single-channel microwave local oscillator is implemented, and the method cannot be applied to scenarios such as array antennas, multi-channel phased array radars, and other scenarios requiring multiple coherent low phase noise microwave signals. Therefore, how to provide multiple low phase noise microwave signals has become a problem to be solved. SUMMARY

[0004] The present application provides a microwave signal generation device and method, and an electronic device, for providing multiple low phase noise microwave signals.

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the embodiments of the present application adopt the following technical solutions:

[0006] In a first aspect, a microwave signal generation device is provided, comprising: a mode-locked laser, a first microwave photonic phase detector, and a plurality of local oscillator modules; the mode-locked laser is connected to the first microwave photonic phase detector, and the first microwave photonic phase detector is further connected to the plurality of local oscillator modules; the mode-locked laser is configured to output a first optical pulse signal; the plurality of local oscillator modules are configured to output a plurality of local oscillator signals; the first microwave photonic phase detector is configured to modulate phases of the first optical pulse signal according to the plurality of local oscillator signals to output a plurality of phase modulation signals; and the plurality of local oscillator modules are further configured to modulate phases of the plurality of local oscillator signals according to the plurality of phase modulation signals to output a plurality of microwave signals.

[0007] In the technical solution, the mode-locked laser can output the first optical pulse signal to the first microwave photonic phase detector, the multiple local oscillator modules can output multiple local oscillator signals to the first microwave photonic phase detector, the first microwave photonic phase detector can modulate phases of the first optical pulse signal based on the multiple local oscillator signals to output multiple phase modulation signals independent of each other, and the multiple local oscillator modules can modulate phases of the multiple local oscillator signals based on the corresponding phase modulation signals to output multiple microwave signals. In this way, the multiple microwave signals are modulated based on the phase of the first optical pulse signal, and thus the multiple microwave signals can be phase-synchronized to provide multiple coherent low-phase-noise microwave signals.

[0008] In any possible implementation form of the first aspect, the first microwave photonic phase detector comprises a first wavelength division multiplexer, a second wavelength division multiplexer, multiple phase modulators, and multiple phase modulation channels; the multiple phase modulators are connected in parallel between the first wavelength division multiplexer and the second wavelength division multiplexer, the multiple phase modulation channels and the multiple phase modulators are connected to the multiple local oscillator modules in one-to-one correspondence; the first wavelength division multiplexer and the second wavelength division multiplexer are further configured to respectively divide the first optical pulse signal into multiple first optical pulse component signals with different wavelengths; the multiple phase modulators are configured to modulate phases of the multiple first optical pulse component signals based on the multiple local oscillator signals; the first wavelength division multiplexer and the second wavelength division multiplexer are further configured to output multiple second optical pulse signals based on the multiple first optical pulse component signals after phase modulation; and the multiple phase modulation channels are configured to output the multiple phase modulation signals based on the multiple second optical pulse signals respectively. In the possible implementation form, the first microwave photonic phase detector comprises the multiple phase modulation channels and the multiple phase modulators, and can simultaneously modulate phases of the multiple local oscillator signals to provide multiple phase-synchronized microwave signals.

[0009] In any possible implementation form of the first aspect, the first microwave photonic phase detector further comprises a wave division module and a coupler; the mode-locked laser is connected to the coupler, the coupler is further connected to the first wavelength division multiplexer, the second wavelength division multiplexer, and the wave division module respectively, and the wave division module is further connected to the multiple phase modulation channels. In the possible implementation form, the first optical pulse signal can be transmitted to the first wavelength division multiplexer and the second wavelength division multiplexer for processing by the coupler, and the multiple second optical pulse signals after processing can be transmitted to the wave division module and the multiple phase modulation channels in sequence to output the multiple phase modulation signals independent of each other.

[0010] In any possible implementation form of the first aspect, the coupler is configured to receive and output the first optical pulse signal, and to couple the plurality of second optical pulse signals to output a third optical pulse signal and a fourth optical pulse signal, and the wavelength division module is configured to divide the third optical pulse signal into a plurality of third optical pulse component signals with different wavelengths and to divide the fourth optical pulse signal into a plurality of fourth optical pulse component signals with different wavelengths, and the plurality of phase modulation channels are configured to output the plurality of phase modulation signals based on the plurality of third optical pulse component signals and the plurality of fourth optical pulse component signals, respectively. With the above possible implementation form, the coupler can transmit the first optical pulse signal output by the mode-locked laser to the first wavelength division multiplexer and the second wavelength division multiplexer for processing, respectively, and transmit the third optical pulse signal and the fourth optical pulse signal after coupling the plurality of second optical pulse signals, and the wavelength division module can divide the third optical pulse signal and the fourth optical pulse signal, so that the plurality of phase modulation channels can output a plurality of phase modulation signals independent of each other based on the third optical pulse component signals and the fourth optical pulse component signals with the same wavelength.

[0011] In any possible implementation form of the first aspect, the wavelength division module comprises a third wavelength division multiplexer and a fourth wavelength division multiplexer, wherein the third wavelength division multiplexer and the fourth wavelength division multiplexer are connected to the coupler, and the third wavelength division multiplexer and the fourth wavelength division multiplexer are further connected to the plurality of phase modulation channels. With the above possible implementation form, a specific implementation form of the wavelength division module is provided, and two wavelength division multiplexers can be combined to output optical pulse component signals with the same wavelength in pairs.

[0012] In any possible implementation form of the first aspect, the third wavelength division multiplexer is configured to divide the third optical pulse signal into the plurality of third optical pulse component signals with different wavelengths, and the fourth wavelength division multiplexer is configured to divide the fourth optical pulse signal into the plurality of fourth optical pulse component signals with different wavelengths. With the above possible implementation form, the third wavelength division multiplexer and the fourth wavelength division multiplexer can divide the third optical pulse signal and the fourth optical pulse signal, respectively.

[0013] In any possible implementation form of the first aspect, each of the plurality of phase modulation channels comprises a balance detector and a proportional-integral controller; the balance detector is connected with the wave splitting module, and the balance detector is further connected with the plurality of local oscillator modules through the proportional-integral controller. The above possible implementation form provides a specific implementation of the phase modulation channel. Through the balance detector and the proportional-integral controller, the intensity difference between two optical signals of the same wavelength can be determined, and a corresponding phase modulation signal can be output, which can indicate the phase difference between the local oscillator signal and the first optical pulse component signal of the corresponding wavelength.

[0014] In any possible implementation form of the first aspect, the coupler is a 3x3 coupler. The above possible implementation form facilitates the cascade of the first microwave photonic phase detector and a next-stage microwave photonic phase detector to provide a larger number of low phase noise microwave signals.

[0015] In any possible implementation form of the first aspect, the microwave signal generation apparatus further comprises a plurality of mixers and a plurality of frequency synthesizing modules, the plurality of mixers are respectively connected with the plurality of frequency synthesizing modules and the plurality of local oscillator modules, and the plurality of frequency synthesizing modules are further respectively connected with the plurality of local oscillator modules; the plurality of frequency synthesizing modules are configured to output a plurality of analog signals with adjustable frequencies according to the plurality of microwave signals; and the plurality of mixers are configured to output a plurality of target microwave signals with adjustable frequencies according to the plurality of microwave signals and the plurality of analog signals. The above possible implementation form can output microwave signals with frequency precisely adjustable, and further expand the adjustable frequency range under the condition of ensuring the tuning accuracy.

[0016] In any possible implementation form of the first aspect, the microwave signal generation apparatus further comprises a second microwave photonic phase detector, the first microwave photonic phase detector is connected with the second microwave photonic phase detector; and the second microwave photonic phase detector is configured to modulate the phase of the first optical pulse signal according to the plurality of local oscillator signals to output a plurality of phase modulation signals; wherein the plurality of phase modulation signals output by the second microwave photonic phase detector are different from the plurality of phase modulation signals output by the first microwave photonic phase detector. The above possible implementation form can comprise a plurality of microwave photonic phase detectors in the microwave signal generation apparatus, and the plurality of microwave photonic phase detectors can be cascaded to provide a larger number of low phase noise microwave signals according to actual application scenarios.

[0017] In a second aspect, a microwave signal generation method is provided. The method is applied to a microwave signal generation device. The device includes a mode-locked laser, a first microwave photonic phase detector, and a plurality of local oscillator modules. The mode-locked laser is connected to the first microwave photonic phase detector. The first microwave photonic phase detector is further connected to the plurality of local oscillator modules. The method includes: outputting, by the mode-locked laser, a first optical pulse signal; outputting, by the plurality of local oscillator modules, a plurality of local oscillator signals; modulating, by the first microwave photonic phase detector, phases of the first optical pulse signal according to the plurality of local oscillator signals to output a plurality of phase modulation signals; and modulating, by the plurality of local oscillator modules, phases of the plurality of local oscillator signals according to the plurality of phase modulation signals to output a plurality of microwave signals.

[0018] In any possible implementation form of the second aspect, the first microwave photonic phase detector includes a first wavelength division multiplexer, a second wavelength division multiplexer, a plurality of phase modulators, and a plurality of phase modulation channels. The plurality of phase modulators are connected in parallel between the first wavelength division multiplexer and the second wavelength division multiplexer. The plurality of phase modulation channels and the plurality of phase modulators are further connected to the plurality of local oscillator modules in one-to-one correspondence. The method further includes: dividing, by the first wavelength division multiplexer and the second wavelength division multiplexer, the first optical pulse signal into a plurality of first optical pulse component signals with different wavelengths; modulating, by the plurality of phase modulators, phases of the plurality of first optical pulse component signals according to the plurality of local oscillator signals; outputting, by the first wavelength division multiplexer and the second wavelength division multiplexer, a plurality of second optical pulse signals according to the plurality of first optical pulse component signals after phase modulation; and outputting, by the plurality of phase modulation channels, the plurality of phase modulation signals according to the plurality of second optical pulse signals.

[0019] In any possible implementation form of the second aspect, the first microwave photonic phase detector further includes a wave division module and a coupler. The mode-locked laser is connected to the coupler. The coupler is further connected to the first wavelength division multiplexer, the second wavelength division multiplexer, and the wave division module. The wave division module is further connected to the plurality of phase modulation channels. The method further includes: receiving, by the coupler, the first optical pulse signal and outputting; coupling, by the coupler, the plurality of second optical pulse signals to output a third optical pulse signal and a fourth optical pulse signal; dividing, by the wave division module, the third optical pulse signal into a plurality of third optical pulse component signals with different wavelengths and dividing the fourth optical pulse signal into a plurality of fourth optical pulse component signals with different wavelengths; and outputting, by the plurality of phase modulation channels, the plurality of phase modulation signals according to the plurality of third optical pulse component signals and the plurality of fourth optical pulse component signals.

[0020] In any possible implementation form of the second aspect, the wave division module comprises a third wave division multiplexer and a fourth wave division multiplexer; the third wave division multiplexer and the fourth wave division multiplexer are connected with the coupler, and the third wave division multiplexer and the fourth wave division multiplexer are further connected with the plurality of phase modulation channels respectively; the method further comprises: the third wave division multiplexer divides the third optical pulse signal into the plurality of third optical pulse component signals with different wavelengths; and the fourth wave division multiplexer divides the fourth optical pulse signal into the plurality of fourth optical pulse component signals with different wavelengths.

[0021] In any possible implementation form of the second aspect, each phase modulation channel of the plurality of phase modulation channels comprises a balanced detector and a proportional-integral controller; the balanced detector is connected with the wave division module, and the balanced detector is further connected with the plurality of local oscillator modules through the proportional-integral controller.

[0022] In any possible implementation form of the second aspect, the microwave signal generation apparatus further comprises a plurality of mixers and a plurality of frequency synthesis modules, the plurality of mixers are connected with the plurality of frequency synthesis modules and the plurality of local oscillator modules respectively, and the plurality of frequency synthesis modules are further connected with the plurality of local oscillator modules respectively; the method further comprises: the plurality of frequency synthesis modules output a plurality of analog signals with adjustable frequencies according to the plurality of microwave signals; and the plurality of mixers output a plurality of target microwave signals with adjustable frequencies according to the plurality of microwave signals and the plurality of analog signals.

[0023] In any possible implementation form of the second aspect, the microwave signal generation apparatus further comprises a second microwave photonic phase detector, and the first microwave photonic phase detector is connected with the second microwave photonic phase detector; the method further comprises: the second microwave photonic phase detector modulates the phase of the first optical pulse signal according to the plurality of local oscillator signals to output a plurality of phase modulation signals, wherein the plurality of phase modulation signals output by the second microwave photonic phase detector are different from the plurality of phase modulation signals output by the first microwave photonic phase detector.

[0024] In a third aspect, an electronic device is provided, which comprises a processor and the microwave signal generation apparatus provided in the first aspect or any possible implementation form of the first aspect.

[0025] In a fourth aspect, a phased array antenna is provided, which comprises an antenna array and the microwave signal generation apparatus provided in the first aspect or any possible implementation form of the first aspect.

[0026] In a fifth aspect, a radar device is provided, which comprises a transmitter and a receiver; the transmitter comprises the microwave signal generation apparatus provided in the first aspect or any possible implementation manner of the first aspect; the receiver is configured to receive a reflected signal according to the signal emitted by the transmitter.

[0027] It can be understood that the microwave signal generation method, the electronic device, the phased array antenna and the radar device provided in the above embodiments can achieve the beneficial effects corresponding to the beneficial effects of the microwave signal generation apparatus provided in the above embodiments, which will not be described here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0028] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a structural schematic diagram of an optoelectronic oscillator;

[0029] Figure 2 FIG. 2 is a structural schematic diagram of a mode-locked laser;

[0030] Figure 3 FIG. 3 is a structural schematic diagram of another mode-locked laser;

[0031] Figure 4 FIG. 4 is a structural schematic diagram of a microwave signal generation apparatus;

[0032] Figure 5 FIG. 5 is a structural schematic diagram of another microwave signal generation apparatus;

[0033] Figure 6 FIG. 6 is a structural schematic diagram of a microwave signal generation apparatus provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Figure 7 FIG. 7 is a structural schematic diagram of another microwave signal generation apparatus provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0035] Figure 8 FIG. 8 is a structural schematic diagram of still another microwave signal generation apparatus provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Figure 9 FIG. 9 is a structural schematic diagram of yet another microwave signal generation apparatus provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Figure 10 FIG. 10 is a structural schematic diagram of a local oscillator module provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0038] Figure 11 FIG. 11 is a structural schematic diagram of still another microwave signal generation apparatus provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0039] Figure 12 FIG. 12 is a flow schematic diagram of a microwave signal generation method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0040] Figure 13A structural schematic diagram of an electronic device provided by an embodiment of the present application is shown in FIG. 1.

[0041] Figure 14 A structural schematic diagram of a phased array antenna provided by an embodiment of the present application is shown in FIG. 2.

[0042] Figure 15 A structural schematic diagram of a radar device provided by an embodiment of the present application is shown in FIG. 3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] The making and using of various embodiments will now be described in detail. It should be appreciated that numerous specific implementation details, relationships, and methods are set forth to provide a full understanding of embodiments of the application. One having ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the application can be practiced without one or more of the specific details or with other methods. In other instances, well-known structures and functions have not been described in detail in order to avoid obscuring the application.

[0044] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs.

[0045] Circuits or other components can be described as or said to be "configured to" perform a task or tasks, in instances of this specific terminology, "configured to" is used to convey structural representations of example circuits / components that perform one or more tasks during operation. Accordingly, a circuit / component can be said to be configured to perform a task even when the task is not currently being performed by the circuit / component. Circuits / components that are configured to perform tasks include hardware such as electrical circuits.

[0046] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. In the present application, "at least one" means one or more, and "multiple" means two or more. The association relationship between the associated objects is described by "and / or", which means that there can be three relationships, for example, A and / or B, which can represent the following cases: A exists alone, A and B exist together, and B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally represents an "or" relationship between the associated objects before and after it. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions means any combination of these items, including any combination of single item or multiple items. For example, at least one of a, b or c can represent: a, b, c, a and b, a and c, b and c, a, b and c; where a, b and c can be single or multiple.

[0047] Embodiments of the present application use "first", "second", and the like to distinguish between objects of like name or function or action that are distinguished from one another by their number. It will be understood that "first", "second", and the like are not intended to limit the number or order of the objects. The term "coupled" is used to express an electrical connection, including direct connection or indirect connection through wires or connectors, or indirect connection through other devices. Therefore, "coupled" should be considered as a broad electronic communication connection.

[0048] It should be noted that in the present application, the words "exemplary" or "for example" are used to mean "an example of" or "an example, only. Any embodiment or design solution described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the present application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design solutions. Rather, the use of "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present relevant concepts in a concrete manner.

[0049] Before introducing embodiments of the present application, first, the related technologies involved in the present application are introduced and explained.

[0050] With the development of technology, the requirement for phase noise of microwave signals is getting higher and higher. Low phase noise microwave signals can be applied in wireless communication devices, high-speed analog-to-digital converters / digital-to-analog converters, and large-scale basic research equipment (such as array telescopes) due to their extremely low phase noise. Among them, low phase noise microwave signals can usually be generated in the following three ways.

[0051] As a first example, an opto electronic oscillator (OEO) is used to generate a low phase noise microwave signal. Figure 1 An OEO structure is exemplified, which is an oscillation loop including a laser 101, an electro-optic modulator 102, an opto-electric detector 103, an electric amplifier 104, an electric filter 105, and an electric phase shifter 106. Among them, the laser 101 is used to provide an optical signal, the electro-optic modulator 102 is used to modulate (for example, phase modulate) the optical signal according to the electro-optic effect, the opto-electric detector 103 is used to convert the optical signal into an electrical signal, the electric amplifier 104 is used to provide gain, the electric filter 105 is used to filter the electrical signal, and the electric phase shifter 106 is used to shift the phase of the electrical signal. When the oscillation loop gain of the OEO is equal to the loss, the oscillation loop can reach a stable oscillation state, and a microwave signal with extremely low phase noise can be generated. For example, the phase noise of a signal with a frequency of 10 GHz (gigahertz) can be lower than -150 dBc / Hz at a frequency offset of 10 kHz (kilohertz), where dBc / Hz represents the relative noise level of the signal at a bandwidth of 1 Hz.

[0052] Although the microwave signal with low phase noise can be generated in the above manner, the frequency of the microwave signal generated by the OEO is related to the length of the oscillation loop. When the loop of the oscillation loop is shorter, the frequency of the microwave signal is higher. When the loop of the oscillation loop is longer, the frequency of the microwave signal is lower. Therefore, the microwave signal output by the OEO is not only single in frequency, but also can only provide a single channel of microwave signal.

[0053] Compared with the OEO, the femtosecond laser can provide a variety of frequency pulse signals. The femtosecond laser, also known as a mode-locked laser, is a fiber laser that generates a series of equally spaced femtosecond pulses in the spectrum through mode locking technology.

[0054] The structure of the above-mentioned mode-locked laser often adopts a "9" shaped structure (as shown in Figure 2 ) or an "8" shaped structure (as shown in Figure 3 ).

[0055] The first structure, as shown in Figure 2 , the mode-locked laser can include a pump light source 201, a phase shifter 204, a coupler 202, an amplification fiber 203, a coupler 205, and a mirror 206. The phase shifter 204 is used to shift the phase of the wave, and the amplification fiber 203 is used for power amplification to provide loop gain. Specifically, the pump light source 201 provides an optical signal to the coupler 202, and the optical signal passes through the phase shifter 204 and the coupler 205 in the counterclockwise direction in turn and is divided into two paths. One path of light passes through the mirror 206, is reflected back to the coupler 205, passes through the phase shifter 204 and the amplification fiber 203 in the clockwise direction in turn, passes through the coupler 205 and is output, and the other path of light directly passes through the coupler 205 and is output. The pump light source 201 is a laser light source that uses a laser with high energy to excite certain media in a solid, liquid or gas to generate a laser light source of a specific wavelength.

[0056] The second structure, as shown in Figure 3 , the mode-locked laser can further include a pump light source 301, a coupler 302, an amplification fiber 303, a coupler 304, a coupler 306, and an optical isolator 305. The optical isolator 305 only allows unidirectional light to pass through. Specifically, the pump light source 301 provides an optical signal to the coupler 302, and the optical signal passes through the amplification fiber 303, the coupler 304, and the coupler 306 in the counterclockwise direction in turn and is divided into two paths. One path of light is transmitted back to the coupler 304 after passing through the optical isolator 305 in the clockwise direction, passes through the amplification fiber 303, passes through the coupler 302, and then enters the coupler 304 again, and is output through the coupler 306. The other path of light is directly output through the coupler 306.

[0057] Optionally, coupler 205 and coupler 304 are both 2×2 optical couplers, while coupler 202, coupler 302 and coupler 306 are all 1×2 optical couplers.

[0058] In this way, mode-locked lasers can generate equally spaced femtosecond pulse signal sequences. These femtosecond pulse signal sequences have excellent phase coherence, low timing jitter, and stable repetition frequency, which is the basis for generating high-quality, low-phase-noise microwave signals.

[0059] As a second example, a low-phase-noise microwave signal is obtained by using a mode-locked laser combined with a photodetector. Figure 4 The structure of a microwave signal generation device is illustrated. For example... Figure 4 As shown, the microwave signal generation device 400 includes a mode-locked laser 401, an ultra-stable laser 402, a coupler 403, a coupler 404, a photodetector 405, and an electrical filter 406, with specific connections as follows: Figure 4 As shown, couplers 403 and 404 form a Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) structure to achieve frequency multiplication, increasing the repetition rate of the laser to the GHz level. Specifically, the mode-locked laser 401 outputs the generated optical signal to the ultra-stable laser 402. The ultra-stable laser 402 outputs a feedback signal based on the optical signal, locking the frequency of the optical signal to form an optical frequency comb. The frequency-locked optical signal is then passed through the cascaded Mach-Zehnder interferometer structure for frequency multiplication, through the photodetector 405 for beat frequency, and through the electrical filter 406 for mode selection, resulting in a high-quality, low-phase-noise microwave signal. For example, the phase noise of a 12 GHz microwave signal generated in this way can reach -173 dBc / Hz at a frequency offset of 10 kHz, and below -180 dBc / Hz in the frequency offset range above 1 kHz.

[0060] As a third example, a low-phase-noise microwave signal is obtained by using a mode-locked laser combined with a microwave photonic phase-locked loop. Figure 5 Another microwave signal generation device structure is illustrated. For example... Figure 5 As shown, the microwave signal generation device 500 includes a mode-locked laser 501, a circulator 502, a microwave photonic phase-locked loop, and a microwave local oscillator 508. The microwave photonic phase-locked loop includes a coupler 503, a phase shifter 504, a phase modulator 505, a balanced photodetector 506, and a servo system 507. For specific connection relationships, please refer to [reference needed]. Figure 5 Optionally, the coupler 503 can be a 2×2 optical coupler, and the phase shifter 504 can be a π / 2 phase shifter 504 (90° phase shifter 504).

[0061] The following combination Figure 5This section details the process of obtaining low-phase-noise microwave signals using a mode-locked laser 501 and a microwave photonic phase-locked loop.

[0062] The mode-locked laser 501 is used to generate an optical pulse signal with a pulse width of less than 100 fs (femtoseconds); the microwave local oscillator 508 is used to provide a microwave signal with a frequency of approximately 10 GHz and a corresponding period of approximately 100 picoseconds (picoseconds). Therefore, the optical pulse signal can be considered as an impulse function, and this impulse function E... pulse The expression for (t) is:

[0063]

[0064] Among them, P peak The peak power of the optical pulse signal is represented by ΔP(t), the power jitter of the optical pulse signal is represented by ΔP(t), n represents the number of intermediate frequency combs in the optical frequency comb formed by the optical pulse signal, and f represents the peak power of the optical pulse signal. rep ΔT(t) represents the repetition frequency of the optical pulse signal, and ΔT(t) represents the time jitter.

[0065] The microwave local oscillator 508 is used to provide a microwave signal, which is a sine wave. Therefore, the microwave signal can be regarded as a sine function, and the expression of the microwave signal s(t) is:

[0066] s(t)=a0 sin(2πNf rep +θ),

[0067] Where a0 represents the amplitude of the microwave signal, θ represents the phase of the microwave signal relative to the optical pulse, and N represents the multiple of the repetition frequency of the optical pulse signal.

[0068] Specifically, the mode-locked laser 501 outputs an optical pulse signal to the circulator 502. One optical pulse signal, after passing through the circulator 502, is input to the first input terminal of the balanced photodetector 506, while the other optical pulse signal, after passing through the circulator 502, is output to the coupler 503. Further, the phase modulator 505, the phase shifter 504, and the balanced photodetector 506 can form a Sagnac ring structure. The other optical pulse signal, after passing through the coupler 503, propagates clockwise and counterclockwise in opposite directions within the Sagnac ring. The phase modulator 505 is used to modulate the phase of the optical pulse signal according to the microwave signal, and it has unidirectional modulation characteristics when the modulation signal frequency is high. For example, if the clockwise propagating optical pulse signal is considered as a forward-conducting optical pulse signal, and the counterclockwise propagating optical pulse signal is considered as a reverse-conducting optical pulse signal, the phase modulator 505 modulates the phase of the forward-conducting optical pulse signal but does not modulate the reverse-conducting optical pulse signal. The phase-modulated optical pulse signal and the unmodulated optical pulse signal interfere at the output of the optocoupler, generating intensity modulation, which is then output to the second input of the balanced photodetector 506. The balanced photodetector 506 can output a differential electrical signal based on optical pulse signals of different intensities. This differential electrical signal is proportional to the difference in optical field intensity between the two optical pulse signals. The servo system 507 modulates the phase of the microwave signal output by the microwave local oscillator 508 according to this differential electrical signal, ultimately outputting a low-phase-noise microwave signal.

[0069] While the second and third examples above can provide low phase noise microwave signals, they can only provide one low phase noise microwave signal, which is not suitable for application scenarios that require multiple coherent low phase noise microwave signals, such as array antennas and multi-channel phased array radars.

[0070] To address the aforementioned problems, this application provides a microwave signal generation device 600, such as... Figure 6 As shown, the microwave signal generation device 600 includes a mode-locked laser 610, a first microwave photonic phase detector 620, and multiple local oscillator modules 630. The mode-locked laser 610 is connected to the first microwave photonic phase detector 620, and the first microwave photonic phase detector 620 is also connected to each of the multiple local oscillator modules 630. In this embodiment, the multiple local oscillator modules 630 include a first local oscillator module 631 and a second local oscillator module 632 as an example, and this does not constitute a limitation on the embodiments of this application.

[0071] The mode-locked laser 610 can output a first optical pulse signal to the first microwave photonic phase detector 620. For example, the mode-locked laser 610 outputs the first optical pulse signal to the first microwave photonic phase detector 620, and the pulse width of the first optical pulse signal can be less than 100 fs. For instance, the pulse width of the first optical pulse signal can be 10 fs, 50 fs, 80 fs, or 90 fs.

[0072] The plurality of local oscillator modules 630 can output a plurality of local oscillator signals to the first microwave photonic phase detector 620. For example, the first local oscillator module 631 can output a first local oscillator signal to the first microwave photonic phase detector 620; the second local oscillator module 632 can output a second local oscillator signal to the first microwave photonic phase detector 620. Further, the first local oscillator module 631 includes a first local oscillator source, and the second local oscillator module 632 includes a second local oscillator source. The first local oscillator signal is the initial local oscillator signal output by the first local oscillator source, and the second local oscillator signal is the initial local oscillator signal output by the second local oscillator source. Optionally, the phases of the first local oscillator signal and the second local oscillator signal may be the same or different; this embodiment does not specifically limit this.

[0073] The first microwave photonic phase detector 620 can modulate the phase of the first optical pulse signal according to the multiple local oscillator signals to output multiple phase modulation signals. For example, the first microwave photonic phase detector 620 modulates the phase of the first optical pulse signal according to the first local oscillator signal and outputs a first phase modulation signal to the first local oscillator module 630, and modulates the phase of the first optical pulse signal according to the second local oscillator signal and outputs a second phase modulation signal to the second local oscillator module 632. The first phase modulation signal is determined based on the first local oscillator signal and the first optical pulse signal, and can indicate the phase difference between the first local oscillator signal and the first optical pulse signal. Similarly, the second phase modulation signal is determined based on the second local oscillator signal and the first optical pulse signal, and can indicate the phase difference between the second local oscillator signal and the first optical pulse signal.

[0074] The plurality of local oscillator modules 630 can modulate the phase of the plurality of local oscillator signals according to the plurality of phase modulation signals to output a plurality of microwave signals. The microwave signals are phase-modulated signals of the local oscillator signals. For example, after receiving the first phase modulation signal, the first local oscillator module 631 modulates the phase of the first local oscillator signal, eliminating the phase difference between the first local oscillator signal and the first optical pulse signal, and outputs a first microwave signal calibrated with the phase of the first optical pulse signal; after receiving the second phase modulation signal, the second local oscillator module 632 modulates the phase of the second local oscillator signal, eliminating the phase difference between the second local oscillator signal and the first optical pulse signal, and outputs a second microwave signal calibrated with the phase of the first optical pulse signal. Thus, the modulated first microwave signal and the second microwave signal can both be phase-synchronized with the first optical pulse signal, that is, phase synchronization between the first microwave signal and the second microwave signal is achieved.

[0075] Through the aforementioned microwave signal generation device 600, the mode-locked laser 610 can output the first optical pulse signal to the first microwave photonic phase detector 620, and the plurality of local oscillator modules 630 can output corresponding local oscillator signals to the first microwave photonic phase detector 620. The first microwave photonic phase detector 620 can modulate the phase of the first optical pulse signal according to the plurality of local oscillator signals, and output a plurality of independent phase modulation signals. The plurality of local oscillator modules 630 can modulate the phase of the plurality of local oscillator signals according to the corresponding phase modulation signals, and output a plurality of microwave signals. In this way, the plurality of microwave signals are all modulated with the phase of the first optical pulse signal as a calibration, so the plurality of microwave signals can achieve phase synchronization, thereby providing a plurality of coherent low phase noise microwave signals.

[0076] In one possible embodiment, such as Figure 7 As shown, the first microwave photonic phase detector 620 includes: a first wavelength division multiplexer 621, a second wavelength division multiplexer 622, multiple phase modulators 623, and multiple phase modulation channels 624. Each of the multiple phase modulation channels 624 is connected to a corresponding local oscillator module 630, and each of the multiple local oscillator modules 630 is connected to a corresponding phase modulator 623. The multiple phase modulators 623 are also connected in parallel between multiple wavelength division terminals of the first wavelength division multiplexer 621 and multiple wavelength division terminals of the second wavelength division multiplexer 622.

[0077] The number of phase modulators, phase modulation channels, and local oscillator modules is one-to-one and related to the specifications of the wavelength division multiplexers (first wavelength division multiplexer 621 and second wavelength division multiplexer 622). For example, if the wavenumber after demultiplexing by the wavelength division multiplexer is N, then the corresponding number of phase modulators, phase modulation channels, and local oscillator modules is also N. For instance, when the upper limit of the wavenumber that the wavelength division multiplexer can multiplex is 100, the number of phase modulators, phase modulation channels, and local oscillator modules can be set to any positive number not exceeding 100. For example, the number of phase modulators, phase modulation channels, and local oscillator modules can all be 100 and connected in a one-to-one correspondence, or the number of phase modulators, phase modulation channels, and local oscillator modules can all be 50 and connected in a one-to-one correspondence. This application embodiment uses the plurality of local oscillator modules 630, including a first local oscillator module 631 and a second local oscillator module 632, the plurality of phase modulators 623, including a first phase modulator and a second phase modulator, and the plurality of phase modulation channels 624, including a first phase modulation channel and a second phase channel, as examples, and does not constitute a limitation on the embodiments of this application. The first local oscillator module 631 includes a first local oscillator source 6311, and the second local oscillator module 632 includes a second local oscillator source 6321.

[0078] Specifically, the first wavelength division multiplexer 621, the second wavelength division multiplexer 622, and the phase modulator connected in parallel between the first wavelength division multiplexer 621 and the second wavelength division multiplexer 622 can form a Sagnac ring structure. The first optical pulse signal transmitted from the first wavelength division multiplexer 621 to the multiple phase modulators can propagate clockwise in the Sagnac ring structure, that is, the first optical pulse signal passes sequentially through the first wavelength division multiplexer 621, the multiple phase modulators 623, and the second wavelength division multiplexer 622 before being output. The first optical pulse signal transmitted from the second wavelength division multiplexer 622 to the multiple phase modulators can propagate counterclockwise in the Sagnac ring structure, that is, the first optical pulse signal passes sequentially through the second wavelength division multiplexer 622, the multiple phase modulators 623, and the first wavelength division multiplexer 621 before being output. As mentioned above, the phase modulator has unidirectional modulation characteristics when the frequency of the modulated signal is high. This application embodiment takes the modulation of the phase of the first optical pulse signal propagating in the clockwise direction as an example for illustration.

[0079] When the first optical pulse signal propagates clockwise: the first wavelength division multiplexer 621 can divide the first optical pulse signal into multiple first optical pulse component signals with different wavelengths; the multiple phase modulators 623 can modulate the phases of the multiple first optical pulse component signals with different wavelengths respectively according to the multiple local oscillator signals output by the multiple local oscillator modules 630; and the second wavelength division multiplexer 622 can output a second optical pulse signal according to the multiple first optical pulse component signals with different wavelengths after phase modulation. For example, the first phase modulator is connected to the first local oscillator source 6311 in the first local oscillator module 631 to receive the first local oscillator signal; and the second phase modulator is connected to the second local oscillator source 6321 in the second local oscillator module 632 to receive the second local oscillator signal. The first phase modulator modulates the phase of the first optical pulse component signal with wavelength λ1 according to the first local oscillator signal, and the second phase modulator modulates the phase of the first optical pulse component signal with wavelength λ2 according to the second local oscillator signal, where λ1 ≠ λ2. The phase-modulated optical pulse component signals with wavelengths λ1 and λ2 are transmitted to the wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) end of the second WDM multiplexer 622. After multiplexing by the second WDM multiplexer 622, the multiplexing end of the second WDM multiplexer 622 can output a first-path second optical pulse signal. At this time, the first-path second optical pulse signal is the phase-modulated first optical pulse signal.

[0080] When the first optical pulse signal propagates counterclockwise: the second wavelength division multiplexer 622 performs wavelength division processing on the first optical pulse signal, outputting first optical pulse component signals with different wavelengths; the first phase modulator and the second phase modulator do not perform phase modulation on the counterclockwise propagating first optical pulse component signal; the first wavelength division multiplexer 621 performs wavelength combination processing on the first optical pulse component signal, and outputs a second optical pulse signal from the combination terminal of the first wavelength division multiplexer 621. At this time, the phase of the second optical pulse signal is consistent with the phase of the first optical pulse signal.

[0081] The plurality of phase modulation channels 624 can output a plurality of phase modulation signals to the plurality of local oscillator modules 630 based on the first and second optical pulse signals. For example, the first phase modulation channel can output a first phase modulation signal to the first local oscillator module 631 based on the first and second optical pulse signals, and the second phase modulation channel can output a second phase modulation signal to the second local oscillator module 632 based on the first and second optical pulse signals.

[0082] In one possible embodiment, such as Figure 8As shown, the first microwave photonic phase detector 620 also includes a wavelength division multiplexing module 625 and a coupler 626. The mode-locked laser 610 is connected to the coupler 626, which is also connected to the first wavelength division multiplexer 621, the second wavelength division multiplexer 622, and the wavelength division multiplexing module 625. The wavelength division multiplexing module 625 is connected to the plurality of phase modulation channels 624.

[0083] The coupler 626 can receive and output the first optical pulse signal. For example, the coupler 626 can be a 3×3 coupler; for ease of description, it will be referred to as... Figure 8 Taking the indicated direction as an example, the three ports on the left side of the coupler 626 can be considered as the first direction ports, and the three ports on the right side of the coupler 626 can be considered as the second direction ports. In the first direction ports, from top to bottom, they are the first port, the second port, and the third port; in the second direction ports, from top to bottom, they are the fourth port, the fifth port, and the sixth port. The first port is connected to the mode-locked laser 610, the second and third ports are respectively connected to the wavelength division multiplexing module 625, the fourth port can be connected to the first wavelength division multiplexer 621, the fifth port is connected to the second wavelength division multiplexer 622, and the sixth port can be left floating or cascaded with the next microwave photonic phase detector. Specifically, the first optical pulse signal can enter the coupler 626 from the first port, then be output along the fourth port on the right side of the coupler 626 to the first wavelength division multiplexer 621, and along the fifth port to the second wavelength division multiplexer 622. When the sixth port is connected to the next microwave photonic phase detector, the optical pulse signal can also be output from the sixth port to the next microwave photonic phase detector to output an optical pulse signal based on the same mode-locked laser 610 as phase calibration.

[0084] The coupler 626 can couple the multiple second optical pulse signals to output a third and a fourth optical pulse signal. Specifically, the phase of the first-path second optical pulse signal is different from that of the second-path second optical pulse signal. When it is transmitted back to the first direction port through the fourth and fifth ports of the coupler 626, interference occurs at the second and third ports of the coupler 626, resulting in intensity modulation. This produces a third and a fourth optical pulse signal with intensities different from the two second optical pulse signals, which are then transmitted to the wavelength division module 625. It is understood that light intensity is directly proportional to output power, and the change in light intensity is related to the interference that occurs after phase modulation. Therefore, the imbalance in the output power of the third and fourth optical pulse signals can indicate the phase of the multiple local oscillator signals relative to the first optical pulse signal. Furthermore, waves of different wavelengths do not interfere; therefore, the phase difference between the multiple local oscillator signals and the first optical pulse signal is independent of each other.

[0085] After receiving the third and fourth optical pulse signals, the wavelength division module 625 can separate the light of different wavelengths from the third and fourth optical pulse signals. For example, it can divide the third optical pulse signal into multiple third optical pulse component signals with different wavelengths, and the fourth optical pulse signal into multiple fourth optical pulse component signals with different wavelengths. For instance, taking the multiple third optical pulse component signals as including a first wavelength signal and a second wavelength signal, and the multiple fourth optical pulse component signals as including a third wavelength signal and a fourth wavelength signal, where the wavelengths of the first and third wavelength signals are both λ1, and the wavelengths of the second and fourth wavelength signals are both λ2, the output power imbalance of the wavelength signal with wavelength λ1 (the first and third wavelength signals) and the output power imbalance of the wavelength signal with wavelength λ2 (the second and fourth wavelength signals) can be determined separately.

[0086] Furthermore, the wavelength division module 625 can perform wavelength division processing on the third optical pulse signal and the fourth optical pulse signal according to the following structure. For example... Figure 8 As shown, the wavelength division multiplexing module 625 includes a third wavelength division multiplexer and a fourth wavelength division multiplexer.

[0087] For example, the multiplexing terminal of the third wavelength division multiplexer is connected to the second port of the coupler 626, the multiplexing terminal of the fourth wavelength division multiplexer is connected to the third port of the coupler 626, the multiple demultiplexing terminals of the third wavelength division multiplexer are respectively connected to the first input terminals of the multiple phase modulation channels 624, and the multiple demultiplexing terminals of the fourth wavelength division multiplexer are respectively connected to the second input terminals of the multiple phase modulation channels 624.

[0088] The following example uses the plurality of phase modulation channels 624, including a first phase modulation channel and a second phase modulation channel, in conjunction with... Figure 8 The process of processing the third and fourth optical pulse signals by the third and fourth wavelength division multiplexers is described in detail.

[0089] The first wavelength division multiplexer (WDM) is connected to the first input of the first phase modulation channel, and the second wavelength division multiplexer is connected to the first input of the second phase modulation channel. Upon receiving the third optical pulse signal, the third WDM can split the signal into a first wavelength signal and a second wavelength signal, transmitting the first wavelength signal to the first phase modulation channel and the second wavelength signal to the second phase modulation channel. Similarly, the first wavelength division multiplexer (WDM) is connected to the second input of the first phase modulation channel, and the second wavelength division multiplexer is connected to the second input of the second phase modulation channel. Upon receiving the fourth optical pulse signal, the third WDM can split the signal into a third wavelength signal and a fourth wavelength signal, transmitting the third wavelength signal to the first phase modulation channel and the fourth wavelength signal to the second phase modulation channel.

[0090] The above Figure 8 The image only illustrates the case where the wavelength division module 625 divides the third optical pulse signal and the fourth optical pulse signal into two wavelengths.

[0091] Each of the plurality of phase modulation channels 624 can output a corresponding phase modulation signal based on the third optical pulse component signal and the fourth optical pulse component signal with the same wavelength. In this way, the plurality of phase modulation channels 624 can output the plurality of phase modulation signals based on the plurality of third optical pulse component signals and the plurality of fourth optical pulse component signals respectively.

[0092] For example, taking the plurality of phase modulation channels 624 as including a first phase modulation channel and a second phase modulation channel, the first phase modulation channel can output the first phase modulation signal according to the first wavelength signal and the third wavelength signal; the second phase modulation channel can output the second phase modulation signal according to the second wavelength signal and the fourth wavelength signal. The first phase modulation signal is used to modulate the phase of the first local oscillator signal, and the second phase modulation signal is used to modulate the phase of the second local oscillator signal.

[0093] Furthermore, each of these multiple phase modulation modules can output a phase modulation signal according to the following structure. For example... Figure 8 As shown, each of the multiple phase modulation channels 624 includes a balanced detector and a proportional-integral controller.

[0094] Taking the multiple phase modulation channels 624, including a first phase modulation channel and a second phase modulation channel, as an example. Figure 8As shown, the first phase modulation channel includes a first balanced detector and a first proportional-integral controller (first PI controller). The first input terminal of the first balanced detector is connected to the first wavelength division multiplexer (WDM), the second input terminal of the first balanced detector is connected to the first WDM of the fourth WDM, the output terminal of the first balanced detector is connected to the input terminal of the first PI controller, and the output terminal of the first PI controller is connected to the first local oscillator source 6311 in the first local oscillator module 631. Specifically, after receiving a first wavelength signal and a third wavelength signal with the same wavelength, the first balanced detector can determine the intensity difference between the first wavelength signal and the third wavelength signal and output a corresponding difference signal. After receiving the difference signal, the first PI controller can output the first phase modulation signal. After receiving the first phase modulation signal, the first local oscillator source 6311 can modulate the phase of the first local oscillator signal to output a first microwave signal with the same phase as the first optical pulse signal.

[0095] Similarly, the second phase modulation channel includes a second balanced detector and a second proportional-integral controller (second PI controller). The first input terminal of the second balanced detector is connected to the second wavelength division multiplexer (WDM), the second input terminal of the second balanced detector is connected to the second WDM of the fourth WDM, the output terminal of the second balanced detector is connected to the input terminal of the second PI controller, and the output terminal of the second PI controller is connected to the second local oscillator source 6321 in the second local oscillator module 632. Specifically, after receiving the second wavelength signal and the fourth wavelength signal with the same wavelength, the second balanced detector can determine the intensity difference between the second wavelength signal and the fourth wavelength signal and output a corresponding difference signal. After receiving the difference signal, the second PI controller can output the second phase modulation signal. After receiving the second phase modulation signal, the second local oscillator source 6321 can modulate the phase of the second local oscillator signal to output a second microwave signal with the same phase as the first optical pulse signal.

[0096] The above Figure 8 The illustration only shows the case where the plurality of phase modulation channels 624 include a first phase modulation channel and a second phase modulation channel, and does not constitute a limitation on the embodiments of this application.

[0097] In one possible embodiment, such as Figure 9As shown, the microwave signal generation device further includes multiple mixers 650 and multiple frequency synthesis modules 640. The multiple mixers 650 are respectively connected to the multiple frequency synthesis modules 640 and the multiple local oscillator modules 630, and the multiple frequency synthesis modules 640 are also respectively connected to the multiple local oscillator modules 630. Each of the multiple frequency synthesis modules 640 can be a direct digital synthesizer (DDS) module.

[0098] The multiple frequency synthesis modules 640 can output multiple frequency-adjustable analog signals based on the multiple microwave signals; the multiple mixers 650 can output multiple frequency-adjustable target microwave signals based on the multiple microwave signals and the multiple analog signals.

[0099] For example, in combination Figure 9 Taking the multiple local oscillator modules 630, including the first local oscillator module 631 and the second local oscillator module 632, as an example, the multiple mixers 650 include the first mixer 651 and the second mixer 652, and the multiple frequency synthesis modules 640 include the first frequency synthesis module 641 and the second frequency synthesis module 642.

[0100] The first local oscillator module 631 is connected to both the first mixer 651 and the first frequency synthesis module 641, and the first frequency synthesis module 641 is also connected to the first mixer 651. The second local oscillator module 632 is connected to both the second mixer 652 and the second frequency synthesis module 642, and the second frequency synthesis module 642 is also connected to the second mixer 652. Specifically, the first frequency synthesis module 641 can synthesize a frequency-adjustable first analog signal based on the first microwave signal output by the first local oscillator module 631, and the first mixer 651 can output a frequency-adjustable first target microwave signal based on the first microwave signal and the first analog signal. Similarly, the second frequency synthesis module 642 can synthesize a frequency-adjustable second analog signal based on the second microwave signal output by the second local oscillator module 632, and the second mixer 652 can output a frequency-adjustable second target microwave signal based on the second microwave signal and the second analog signal.

[0101] In one example, each of the plurality of local oscillator modules 630 can output local oscillator signals and / or microwave signals of multiple frequencies. For example... Figure 10As shown, the local oscillator module includes a local oscillator source, two frequency dividers (702 and 703), two mixers (704 and 705), and a selection switch 706. The local oscillator source 701 is connected to the input terminals of frequency dividers 702 and 703, and the first input terminal of mixer 704. The output terminal of frequency divider 702 is connected to the second input terminal of mixer 704, the output terminal of frequency divider 703 is connected to the first input terminal of mixer 705, and the output terminal of mixer 704 is connected to the second input terminal of mixer 705. Optionally, frequency divider 702 can be a 1 / 4 frequency divider, used to divide the input signal, with the output signal frequency being 1 / 4 of the input signal frequency; frequency divider 703 can be a 1 / 8 frequency divider, with the output signal frequency being 1 / 8 of the input signal frequency. Optionally, the structures of the multiple local oscillator modules 630 can be the same or different; this embodiment does not specifically limit this.

[0102] For example, if the frequency of the local oscillator 701 outputting the and / or microwave signal is 8 GHz, then the signal frequency output by the frequency divider 702 can be 2 GHz, the signal frequency output by the frequency divider 703 can be 1 GHz, the signal frequency output by the mixer 704 can be 6 GHz, and the signal frequency output by the mixer 705 can be 5 GHz or 7 GHz. The selection switch 706 can select any of the following frequencies: 5 GHz, 6 GHz, 7 GHz, or 8 GHz, to provide local oscillator signals and / or microwave signals of different frequencies. The frequency range of the local oscillator signal and / or microwave signal includes 5 GHz to 8 GHz. The frequency synthesis module (DDS) performs frequency synthesis processing based on this 5 GHz to 8 GHz signal frequency, and can output an analog signal of 0-1 GHz. After mixing processing by the mixer, a target microwave signal with a wide frequency tunable range can finally be achieved.

[0103] This application also provides a microwave signal generation device, such as... Figure 11As shown, the microwave signal generation device further includes a second microwave photonic phase detector 660; the first microwave photonic phase detector 620 is connected to the second microwave photonic phase detector 660. The second microwave photonic phase detector 660 can modulate the phase of the first optical pulse signal according to the multiple local oscillator signals to output multiple phase modulation signals. Optionally, the second microwave photonic phase detector 660 can modulate the phase of the first optical pulse signal according to the multiple local oscillator signals provided by the multiple local oscillator modules 670 to output multiple phase modulation signals, and the multiple phase modulation signals correspond one-to-one with the multiple local oscillator modules 670. Further, the multiple local oscillator modules 630 connected to the first microwave photonic phase detector 620 are not the same as the multiple local oscillator modules 670 connected to the second microwave photonic phase detector 660, so the multiple phase modulation signals output by the second microwave photonic phase detector 660 are different from the multiple phase modulation signals output by the first microwave photonic phase detector 620.

[0104] For example, the second microwave photonic phase detector 660 is connected to multiple local oscillator modules 670, including a third local oscillator module 671. The third local oscillator module 671 can provide a third local oscillator signal to the second microwave photonic phase detector 660. The second microwave photonic phase detector 660 can modulate the phase of the first optical pulse signal according to the third local oscillator signal to output a third phase modulation signal to the third local oscillator module 671.

[0105] Optionally, as mentioned above, the number of phase modulators, phase modulation channels, and local oscillator modules are in a one-to-one correspondence and are related to the specifications of the wavelength division multiplexer. When the required number of low-phase-noise microwave signals is much greater than the upper limit of the wavelength division multiplexer's multiplexing capacity, more low-phase-noise microwave signals can be provided by cascading microwave photonic phase detectors. For example, if the upper limit of the wavelength division multiplexer's multiplexing capacity is 100, and the required number of low-phase-noise microwave signals is 1000 or more, then cascading 10 or more microwave photonic phase detectors can provide the required number of low-phase-noise microwave signals.

[0106] In another aspect of this application, embodiments of this application also provide a microwave signal generation method. This method can be applied to a microwave signal generation device including a mode-locked laser, a first microwave photonic phase detector, and multiple local oscillator modules. The structure of this microwave signal generation device can be referred to the description above. Figure 12 As shown, the method includes:

[0107] S801: The mode-locked laser outputs the first optical pulse signal;

[0108] S802: This multi-local oscillator module outputs multiple local oscillator signals;

[0109] S803: The first microwave photonic phase detector modulates the phase of the first optical pulse signal according to the multiple local oscillator signals to output multiple phase modulation signals;

[0110] S804: The multiple local oscillator modules modulate the phase of the multiple local oscillator signals according to the multiple phase modulation signals to output multiple microwave signals.

[0111] It is understood that all relevant content involved in the above-described embodiments of the microwave signal generation device can be referenced in the above-described method embodiments, and the embodiments of this application will not be repeated here.

[0112] In another aspect, embodiments of this application also provide an electronic device, such as... Figure 13 As shown, the electronic device 910 includes a processor 912 and a microwave signal generating device 911 as described in the above embodiments. The processor 912 is used to receive and process multiple low-phase-noise microwave signals provided by the microwave signal generating device 911. For example, the electronic device 910 can be a quantum device, and correspondingly, the processor 912 can be a quantum processor.

[0113] In another aspect, embodiments of this application also provide a phased array antenna, such as... Figure 14 As shown, the phased array antenna 920 includes an antenna array 922 and a microwave signal generating device 921 as described in the above embodiment. The antenna array 922 is used to transmit multiple low phase noise microwave signals provided by the microwave signal generating device 921.

[0114] In another aspect, embodiments of this application also provide a radar device, such as... Figure 15 As shown, the radar device 930 includes a transmitter 931 and a receiver 932; the microwave signal generating device 9311 described in the above embodiment is located inside the transmitter 931. The transmitter 931 is used to transmit multiple low phase noise microwave signals provided by the microwave signal generating device 9311 through an antenna, and the receiver 932 is used to receive the reflected signals of the low phase noise microwave signals transmitted by the transmitter 931 through an antenna.

[0115] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed apparatus and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For instance, the division of modules or units is merely a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another apparatus, or some features may be ignored or not executed.

[0116] The unit described as a separate component may or may not be physically separate. The component shown as a unit can be one physical unit or multiple physical units, that is, it can be located in one place or distributed in multiple different places. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of the solution in this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0117] Finally, it should be noted that the above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A microwave signal generating device, characterized in that, The device comprises: a mode-locked laser, a first microwave photonic phase detector, and a plurality of local oscillator modules; the mode-locked laser is connected with the first microwave photonic phase detector, and the first microwave photonic phase detector is further connected with the plurality of local oscillator modules respectively; the mode-locked laser is configured to output a first optical pulse signal; the plurality of local oscillator modules are configured to output a plurality of local oscillator signals; the first microwave photonic phase detector is configured to modulate phases of the first optical pulse signal according to the plurality of local oscillator signals respectively, so as to output a plurality of phase modulation signals; the plurality of local oscillator modules are further configured to modulate phases of the plurality of local oscillator signals according to the plurality of phase modulation signals respectively, so as to output a plurality of microwave signals.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The first microwave photonic phase detector comprises: a first wavelength division multiplexer, a second wavelength division multiplexer, a plurality of phase modulators, and a plurality of phase modulation channels; the plurality of phase modulators are connected in parallel between the first wavelength division multiplexer and the second wavelength division multiplexer, and the plurality of phase modulation channels and the plurality of phase modulators are further connected with the plurality of local oscillator modules one by one; the first wavelength division multiplexer and the second wavelength division multiplexer are further configured to respectively divide the first optical pulse signal into a plurality of first optical pulse component signals with different wavelengths; the plurality of phase modulators are further configured to modulate phases of the plurality of first optical pulse component signals according to the plurality of local oscillator signals respectively; the first wavelength division multiplexer and the second wavelength division multiplexer are further configured to output a plurality of second optical pulse signals according to the plurality of first optical pulse component signals after phase modulation; the plurality of phase modulation channels are configured to output the plurality of phase modulation signals according to the plurality of second optical pulse signals respectively.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein, The first microwave photonic phase detector further comprises: a wave division module and a coupler; the mode-locked laser is connected with the coupler, the coupler is further connected with the first wavelength division multiplexer, the second wavelength division multiplexer, and the wave division module respectively, and the wave division module is further connected with the plurality of phase modulation channels.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein the coupler is configured to receive and output the first optical pulse signal; the coupler is further configured to perform coupling processing on the plurality of second optical pulse signals, so as to output a third optical pulse signal and a fourth optical pulse signal; the wave division module is configured to divide the third optical pulse signal into a plurality of third optical pulse component signals with different wavelengths, and divide the fourth optical pulse signal into a plurality of fourth optical pulse component signals with different wavelengths; the plurality of phase modulation channels are further configured to output the plurality of phase modulation signals according to the plurality of third optical pulse component signals and the plurality of fourth optical pulse component signals respectively.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 or 4, wherein, The wave division module comprises: a third wavelength division multiplexer and a fourth wavelength division multiplexer; the third wavelength division multiplexer and the fourth wavelength division multiplexer are both connected with the coupler, and the third wavelength division multiplexer and the fourth wavelength division multiplexer are further connected with the plurality of phase modulation channels respectively.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein The third wavelength division multiplexer is configured to divide the third optical pulse signal into a plurality of third optical pulse component signals with different wavelengths. The fourth wavelength division multiplexer is configured to divide the fourth optical pulse signal into a plurality of fourth optical pulse component signals with different wavelengths.

7. The device of any one of claims 3-6, wherein, Each phase modulation channel of the plurality of phase modulation channels comprises a balanced detector and a proportional-integral controller. The balanced detector is connected to the wave division module, and the balanced detector is further connected to the plurality of local oscillator modules through the proportional-integral controller.

8. The device of any one of claims 3-7, wherein, The coupler is a 3×3 coupler.

9. The device of any one of claims 1-8, wherein, The microwave signal generation device further comprises a plurality of mixers and a plurality of frequency synthesis modules, wherein the plurality of mixers are respectively connected to the plurality of frequency synthesis modules and the plurality of local oscillator modules, and the plurality of frequency synthesis modules are respectively connected to the plurality of local oscillator modules. The plurality of frequency synthesis modules are configured to output a plurality of analog signals with adjustable frequencies according to the plurality of microwave signals. The plurality of mixers are configured to output a plurality of target microwave signals with adjustable frequencies according to the plurality of microwave signals and the plurality of analog signals.

10. The device of any one of claims 1-9, wherein, The microwave signal generation device further comprises a second microwave photonic phase detector, wherein the first microwave photonic phase detector is connected to the second microwave photonic phase detector. The second microwave photonic phase detector is configured to modulate the phase of the first optical pulse signal according to the plurality of local oscillator signals to output a plurality of phase modulation signals, wherein the plurality of phase modulation signals output by the second microwave photonic phase detector are different from the plurality of phase modulation signals output by the first microwave photonic phase detector.

11. A method of microwave signal generation, characterized by, The microwave signal generation device comprises a mode-locked laser, a first microwave photonic phase detector, and a plurality of local oscillator modules, wherein the mode-locked laser is connected to the first microwave photonic phase detector, and the first microwave photonic phase detector is respectively connected to the plurality of local oscillator modules. The method comprises: The mode-locked laser outputs a first optical pulse signal. The plurality of local oscillator modules output a plurality of local oscillator signals. The first microwave photonic phase detector modulates the phase of the first optical pulse signal according to the plurality of local oscillator signals to output a plurality of phase modulation signals. The plurality of local oscillator modules modulate the phase of the plurality of local oscillator signals according to the plurality of phase modulation signals to output a plurality of microwave signals.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein, The first microwave photonic phase detector comprises a first wavelength division multiplexer, a second wavelength division multiplexer, a plurality of phase modulators, and a plurality of phase modulation channels, wherein the plurality of phase modulators are connected in parallel between the first wavelength division multiplexer and the second wavelength division multiplexer, the plurality of phase modulation channels and the plurality of phase modulators are respectively connected to the plurality of local oscillator modules, and the method further comprises: The first wavelength division multiplexer and the second wavelength division multiplexer respectively divide the first optical pulse signal into a plurality of first optical pulse component signals with different wavelengths. The plurality of phase modulators modulate the phase of the plurality of first optical pulse component signals according to the plurality of local oscillator signals. The first wavelength division multiplexer and the second wavelength division multiplexer output a plurality of second optical pulse signals according to the plurality of first optical pulse component signals after phase modulation. The multiple phase modulation channels respectively output the multiple phase modulation signals according to the multiple second optical pulse signals.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein, The first microwave photonic phase detector further comprises a wave division module and a coupler, the mode-locked laser is connected with the coupler, the coupler is further connected with the first wave division multiplexer, the second wave division multiplexer and the wave division module respectively, and the wave division module is further connected with the multiple phase modulation channels; the method further comprises: The coupler receives the first optical pulse signal and outputs; The coupler performs coupling processing on the multiple second optical pulse signals to output third optical pulse signals and fourth optical pulse signals; The wave division module divides the third optical pulse signal into multiple third optical pulse component signals with different wavelengths and divides the fourth optical pulse signal into multiple fourth optical pulse component signals with different wavelengths; The multiple phase modulation channels respectively output the multiple phase modulation signals according to the multiple third optical pulse component signals and the multiple fourth optical pulse component signals.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein, The wave division module comprises a third wave division multiplexer and a fourth wave division multiplexer; the third wave division multiplexer and the fourth wave division multiplexer are connected with the coupler, and the third wave division multiplexer and the fourth wave division multiplexer are further connected with the multiple phase modulation channels respectively; the method further comprises: The third wave division multiplexer divides the third optical pulse signal into the multiple third optical pulse component signals with different wavelengths; The fourth wave division multiplexer divides the fourth optical pulse signal into the multiple fourth optical pulse component signals with different wavelengths.

15. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that, Each phase modulation channel of the multiple phase modulation channels comprises a balanced detector and a proportional-integral controller; the balanced detector is connected with the wave division module, and the balanced detector is further connected with the multiple local oscillator modules through the proportional-integral controller.

16. The method according to any one of claims 11-15, characterized in that, The microwave signal generation device further comprises multiple mixers and multiple frequency synthesis modules; the multiple mixers are connected with the multiple frequency synthesis modules and the multiple local oscillator modules respectively, and the multiple frequency synthesis modules are further connected with the multiple local oscillator modules respectively; The method further comprises: The multiple frequency synthesis modules output multiple analog signals with adjustable frequencies according to the multiple microwave signals; The multiple mixers output multiple target microwave signals with adjustable frequencies according to the multiple microwave signals and the multiple analog signals.

17. The method according to any one of claims 11-16, characterized in that, The microwave signal generation device further comprises a second microwave photonic phase detector, and the first microwave photonic phase detector is connected with the second microwave photonic phase detector; the method further comprises: The second microwave photonic phase detector modulates the phase of the first optical pulse signal according to the multiple local oscillator signals to output multiple phase modulation signals, wherein the multiple phase modulation signals output by the second microwave photonic phase detector are different from the multiple phase modulation signals output by the first microwave photonic phase detector.

18. An electronic device, comprising: The electronic device comprises a processor and the microwave signal generation device of any one of claims 1-10.

19. A phased array antenna, characterized by The phased array antenna comprises an antenna array and the microwave signal generation device of any one of claims 1-10.

20. A radar device, characterized by The radar device comprises a transmitter and a receiver; The transmitter comprises a microwave signal generating device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10; The receiver is configured to receive a reflection signal of the signal emitted by the transmitter.

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