Frequency agile microwave photonic notch filter with anomalously-high stopband rejection

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel microwave photonic notch filter with record-high stopband rejection, narrow bandwidth, wide tunability, and reconfigurability, achieved through innovative sideband control techniques.

Contribution

It presents a new concept of sideband amplitude and phase control using electro-optic modulation and optical filtering for high-performance RF filtering.

Findings

Achieved > 60 dB stopband rejection

Tunable frequency range of 1-30 GHz

Bandwidth reconfigurable from 10 to 65 MHz

Abstract

We report a novel class microwave photonic (MWP) notch filter with a very narrow isolation bandwidth (10 MHz), an ultrahigh stopband rejection (> 60 dB), a wide frequency tuning (1-30 GHz), and flexible bandwidth reconfigurability (10-65 MHz). This record performance is enabled by a new concept of sidebands amplitude and phase controls using an electro-optic modulator and an optical filter. This new concept enables energy efficient operation in active MWP notch filters, and opens up the pathway to enable low-power nanophotonic devices as high performance RF filters.