Optoelectronic oscillators (OEOs) are electronic oscillators that use optical technology to generate high-frequency signals. Optoelectronic oscillators can be used in many applications, including communications and radar systems.
OEOs use a light source to produce an oscillating electrical signal. Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and lasers can be used as light sources, but optoelectronic oscillators have other uses than just generating electric signals at a specific frequency.
If you want to learn about electronics oscillators like OEOs, this article is the right place for you to be. Below are discussed – the top objectives of optoelectronic oscillators.
1: OEOs aim to lower phase noise.
Phase noise is the variation in phase from one frequency to another. Many factors, including nonlinear effects in the oscillator and noise from other sources, can cause it. Phase noise can interfere with other signals by shifting their frequencies and causing them to be out of tune with those signals.
Phase noise is a common problem for traditional electronic oscillators when used for applications requiring precise real-time control, such as telecommunications and radar systems. Optoelectronic oscillators avoid this problem because they use light instead of electricity to produce their signals.
2: These oscillators improve side mode suppression.
Side modes are unwanted frequencies that are generated by regular electronic oscillators. They may be suppressed by a filter, typically implemented using a varactor diode. This acts as a variable capacitor.
In an optoelectronic oscillator, the side mode suppression ratio (SMR) is improved to ensure that unwanted frequencies are reduced even more than in regular electronic oscillators.
3: Boosting Frequency Stability.
The frequency stability of an oscillator is a measure of how well the oscillator’s output frequency remains constant over time. Frequency stability is essential in many applications, including phase-locked loops (PLLs) and timing circuits used in communications systems to ensure accurate communication between different devices.
OEOs play a significant role in improving frequency stability because they can be used to improve crystal manufacturing quality control.
4: Improving Frequency Tuning Performance.
Frequency tuning is the process of adjusting the frequency of an oscillator. This can be achieved by changing the active device or circuit parameters. Frequency tuning is used in many applications where small changes in frequency are required.
Optoelectronic oscillators have better frequency tuning performance than other laser-based oscillators because their output light intensity varies with temperature.
5: Improving Multi-Frequency Oscillation.
Multi-frequency oscillation is the ability to produce multiple frequencies from a single source. This is useful for many applications, including frequency synthesis (such as synthesizing a signal at one frequency with another signal at another frequency) and frequency modulation. Oscillators can be designed to produce multiple frequencies through feedback or mixing techniques (mixing two or more signals).
Optoelectronic oscillators focus on improving multi-frequency oscillation by minimizing crosstalk between channels, increasing the linearity of each channel, reducing noise levels, and providing better power efficiency.
Final Thoughts
This article was about helping readers learn about electronics oscillators, especially optoelectronic oscillators.
There are many different types of optoelectronic oscillators. Some are based on laser light, while others use LEDs or other light sources. They’re used in telecommunications, medical equipment, and data processing applications. These devices have a wide range of uses because they can generate signals at frequencies between 1 GHz and 10 THz (terahertz).
