A microwave photonic frequency down-converter with image rejection based on thin-film lithium niobate

Jiaxue Feng; Hanke Feng; Miaoxing Cui; Cheng Wang; Sha Zhu; Ning Hua Zhu

doi:10.1117/12.3076401

A microwave photonic frequency down-converter with image rejection based on thin-film lithium niobate

Jiaxue Feng, Hanke Feng, Miaoxing Cui, Cheng Wang, Sha Zhu, Ning Hua Zhu

Department of Electrical Engineering

Research output: Chapters, Conference Papers, Creative and Literary Works › RGC 32 - Refereed conference paper (with host publication) › peer-review

Abstract

The performance of frequency down-conversion technology directly impacts system sensitivity, bandwidth, signal-tonoise ratio, and dynamic range, making it crucial for applications like radar and wireless communication. We demonstrate a chip-based microwave photonic frequency down-converter with image rejection, implemented on a thinfilm lithium niobate platform. The proposed frequency down-converter integrates a dual-drive Mach-Zehnder modulator with a ring-assisted asymmetrical Mach-Zehnder interferometer interleaver. The system achieves successful imagerejected down-conversion with an image rejection ratio of 30.7 dB. The frequency down-converter supports wide frequency tunability from 23 to 30 GHz, yielding down-converted signals in the 3-10 GHz range with power fluctuation under 5.7 dB. This integrated photonic frequency down-converter offers wide bandwidth, high isolation, reconfigurability, and compact integration, making it well-suited for advanced receivers in radar, remote sensing, and high-frequency communication systems. © 2025 SPIE.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	16th International Photonics and Optoelectronics Meetings (POEM 2025)
Editors	Xinliang Zhang, William Shieh, Perry Shum, Peixiang Lu, Jianji Dong
Publisher	SPIE
ISBN (Electronic)	9781510693371
ISBN (Print)	9781510693364
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3076401
Publication status	Published - 2025
Event	16th International Photonics and Optoelectronics Meetings (POEM 2025) - Wuhan, China Duration: 15 May 2025 → 17 May 2025

Publication series

Name	Proceedings of SPIE
Volume	13695
ISSN (Print)	0277-786X
ISSN (Electronic)	1996-756X

Conference

Conference	16th International Photonics and Optoelectronics Meetings (POEM 2025)
Place	China
City	Wuhan
Period	15/05/25 → 17/05/25

Funding

This work is supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (No. 2024YFB2808300), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 62305008).

Research Keywords

Downconversion
Image rejection
Microwave photonic frequency down-converter
Thin-film lithium niobate

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Feng, J., Feng, H., Cui, M., Wang, C., Zhu, S., & Zhu, N. H. (2025). A microwave photonic frequency down-converter with image rejection based on thin-film lithium niobate. In X. Zhang, W. Shieh, P. Shum, P. Lu, & J. Dong (Eds.), 16th International Photonics and Optoelectronics Meetings (POEM 2025) Article 1369507 (Proceedings of SPIE; Vol. 13695). SPIE. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3076401

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title = "A microwave photonic frequency down-converter with image rejection based on thin-film lithium niobate",

abstract = "The performance of frequency down-conversion technology directly impacts system sensitivity, bandwidth, signal-tonoise ratio, and dynamic range, making it crucial for applications like radar and wireless communication. We demonstrate a chip-based microwave photonic frequency down-converter with image rejection, implemented on a thinfilm lithium niobate platform. The proposed frequency down-converter integrates a dual-drive Mach-Zehnder modulator with a ring-assisted asymmetrical Mach-Zehnder interferometer interleaver. The system achieves successful imagerejected down-conversion with an image rejection ratio of 30.7 dB. The frequency down-converter supports wide frequency tunability from 23 to 30 GHz, yielding down-converted signals in the 3-10 GHz range with power fluctuation under 5.7 dB. This integrated photonic frequency down-converter offers wide bandwidth, high isolation, reconfigurability, and compact integration, making it well-suited for advanced receivers in radar, remote sensing, and high-frequency communication systems. {\textcopyright} 2025 SPIE.",

keywords = "Downconversion, Image rejection, Microwave photonic frequency down-converter, Thin-film lithium niobate",

author = "Jiaxue Feng and Hanke Feng and Miaoxing Cui and Cheng Wang and Sha Zhu and Zhu, {Ning Hua}",

year = "2025",

doi = "10.1117/12.3076401",

language = "English",

isbn = "9781510693364",

series = "Proceedings of SPIE",

publisher = "SPIE",

editor = "Xinliang Zhang and William Shieh and Perry Shum and Peixiang Lu and Jianji Dong",

booktitle = "16th International Photonics and Optoelectronics Meetings (POEM 2025)",

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note = "16th International Photonics and Optoelectronics Meetings (POEM 2025) ; Conference date: 15-05-2025 Through 17-05-2025",

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Feng, J, Feng, H, Cui, M, Wang, C, Zhu, S & Zhu, NH 2025, A microwave photonic frequency down-converter with image rejection based on thin-film lithium niobate. in X Zhang, W Shieh, P Shum, P Lu & J Dong (eds), 16th International Photonics and Optoelectronics Meetings (POEM 2025)., 1369507, Proceedings of SPIE, vol. 13695, SPIE, 16th International Photonics and Optoelectronics Meetings (POEM 2025), Wuhan, China, 15/05/25. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3076401

A microwave photonic frequency down-converter with image rejection based on thin-film lithium niobate. / Feng, Jiaxue; Feng, Hanke; Cui, Miaoxing et al.
16th International Photonics and Optoelectronics Meetings (POEM 2025). ed. / Xinliang Zhang; William Shieh; Perry Shum; Peixiang Lu; Jianji Dong. SPIE, 2025. 1369507 (Proceedings of SPIE; Vol. 13695).

Research output: Chapters, Conference Papers, Creative and Literary Works › RGC 32 - Refereed conference paper (with host publication) › peer-review

TY - GEN

T1 - A microwave photonic frequency down-converter with image rejection based on thin-film lithium niobate

AU - Feng, Jiaxue

AU - Feng, Hanke

AU - Cui, Miaoxing

AU - Wang, Cheng

AU - Zhu, Sha

AU - Zhu, Ning Hua

PY - 2025

Y1 - 2025

N2 - The performance of frequency down-conversion technology directly impacts system sensitivity, bandwidth, signal-tonoise ratio, and dynamic range, making it crucial for applications like radar and wireless communication. We demonstrate a chip-based microwave photonic frequency down-converter with image rejection, implemented on a thinfilm lithium niobate platform. The proposed frequency down-converter integrates a dual-drive Mach-Zehnder modulator with a ring-assisted asymmetrical Mach-Zehnder interferometer interleaver. The system achieves successful imagerejected down-conversion with an image rejection ratio of 30.7 dB. The frequency down-converter supports wide frequency tunability from 23 to 30 GHz, yielding down-converted signals in the 3-10 GHz range with power fluctuation under 5.7 dB. This integrated photonic frequency down-converter offers wide bandwidth, high isolation, reconfigurability, and compact integration, making it well-suited for advanced receivers in radar, remote sensing, and high-frequency communication systems. © 2025 SPIE.

AB - The performance of frequency down-conversion technology directly impacts system sensitivity, bandwidth, signal-tonoise ratio, and dynamic range, making it crucial for applications like radar and wireless communication. We demonstrate a chip-based microwave photonic frequency down-converter with image rejection, implemented on a thinfilm lithium niobate platform. The proposed frequency down-converter integrates a dual-drive Mach-Zehnder modulator with a ring-assisted asymmetrical Mach-Zehnder interferometer interleaver. The system achieves successful imagerejected down-conversion with an image rejection ratio of 30.7 dB. The frequency down-converter supports wide frequency tunability from 23 to 30 GHz, yielding down-converted signals in the 3-10 GHz range with power fluctuation under 5.7 dB. This integrated photonic frequency down-converter offers wide bandwidth, high isolation, reconfigurability, and compact integration, making it well-suited for advanced receivers in radar, remote sensing, and high-frequency communication systems. © 2025 SPIE.

KW - Downconversion

KW - Image rejection

KW - Microwave photonic frequency down-converter

KW - Thin-film lithium niobate

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DO - 10.1117/12.3076401

M3 - RGC 32 - Refereed conference paper (with host publication)

SN - 9781510693364

T3 - Proceedings of SPIE

BT - 16th International Photonics and Optoelectronics Meetings (POEM 2025)

A2 - Zhang, Xinliang

A2 - Shieh, William

A2 - Shum, Perry

A2 - Lu, Peixiang

A2 - Dong, Jianji

PB - SPIE

T2 - 16th International Photonics and Optoelectronics Meetings (POEM 2025)

Y2 - 15 May 2025 through 17 May 2025

ER -

A microwave photonic frequency down-converter with image rejection based on thin-film lithium niobate

Abstract

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Research Keywords

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