System for generating low-jitter digital clock signals using pulsed laser

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11082032-B2
Application number	US-202016801432-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 26, 2020
Priority date	Apr 30, 2019
Publication date	Aug 3, 2021
Grant date	Aug 3, 2021

Abstract

A low-jitter digital clock signal generating system which uses optical pulses output from a pulse laser includes a first balanced photodetector that converts first and second optical pulses with a delayed time interval into first and second electrical pulses through first and second photodiodes and outputs first and second modulated pulses generated by allowing the first and second electrical pulses to partially overlap each other, a second balanced photodetector that converts third and fourth optical pulses with the delayed time interval into third and fourth electrical pulses through third and fourth photodiodes, and outputs a second modulated pulse generated by allowing the third and fourth electrical pulses to partially overlap each other, and a capacitor. The capacitor is charged by the first modulated pulse, is discharged by the second modulated pulse, and outputs a voltage according to the charging and discharging as a clock signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A low-jitter digital clock signal generating system which uses optical pulses output from a pulse laser, comprising:
a first balanced photodetector configured to receive a first optical pulse and a second optical pulse with a delayed time interval, to convert the first optical pulse and the second optical pulse into a first electrical pulse and a second electrical pulse through a first photodiode and a second photodiode, and to output a first modulated pulse generated by allowing the first electrical pulse and the second electrical pulse to partially overlap each other;
a second balanced photodetector configured to receive a third optical pulse and a fourth optical pulse with the delayed time interval, to convert the third optical pulse and the fourth optical pulse into a third electrical pulse and a fourth electrical pulse through a third photodiode and a fourth photodiode, and to output a second modulated pulse generated by allowing the third electrical pulse and the fourth electrical pulse to partially overlap each other; and
a capacitor, wherein the capacitor is charged by the first modulated pulse, is discharged by the second modulated pulse, and outputs a voltage according to the charging and discharging as a clock signal.

2. The low-jitter digital clock signal generating system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first optical delay line configured to delay at least one of the first optical pulse and the second optical pulse as much as a specified time; and
a second optical delay line configured to delay at least one of the third optical pulse and the fourth optical pulse as much as the specified time.

3. The low-jitter digital clock signal generating system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first optical attenuator configured to attenuate at least one of the first optical pulse and the second optical pulse such that the first optical pulse and the second optical pulse have a specified power ratio; and
a second optical attenuator configured to attenuate at least one of the third optical pulse and the fourth optical pulse such that the third optical pulse and the fourth optical pulse have the specified power ratio.

4. The low-jitter digital clock signal generating system of claim 3 , wherein the specified power ratio is adjusted based on a waveform of the clock signal generated by the first modulated pulse and the second modulated pulse.

5. The low-jitter digital clock signal generating system of claim 1 , wherein each of the first balanced photodetector and the second balanced photodetector is implemented with a p-i-n photodiode.

6. The low-jitter digital clock signal generating system of claim 1 , wherein each of the first balanced photodetector and the second balanced photodetector is implemented with a uni-travelling carrier (UTC)/modified uni-travelling carrier (MUTC) photodiode.

7. The low-jitter digital clock signal generating system of claim 1 , wherein the first modulated pulse is generated to have a shape including rising edge characteristics of the first electrical pulse and the second electrical pulse by adjusting powers of the first optical pulse and the second optical pulse and a delay difference of the first optical pulse and the second optical pulse, and
wherein the second modulated signal is generated to correspond to the first modulated pulse.

8. The low-jitter digital clock signal generating system of claim 7 , wherein the first optical pulse is converted into the first electrical pulse by the first photodiode connected to a high voltage, the second optical pulse delayed with respect to the first optical pulse is converted into the second electrical pulse by the second photodiode connected to a low voltage, and the shape of the first modulated pulse varies depending on a power ratio of the first optical pulse and the second optical pulse and the delay difference of the first optical pulse and the second optical pulse.

9. A low-jitter digital clock signal generating system which uses optical pulses output from a pulse laser, comprising:
a first balanced photodetector configured to convert optical pulses having adjusted powers and delay difference into current pulses through photoelectric conversion and to output a first modulated pulse generated by allowing the current pulses to overlap each other;
a second balanced photodetector having the same structure as the first balanced photodetector, and configured to output a second modulated pulse, which has the same magnitude as the first modulated pulse and is in an opposite direction to the first modulated pulse, with the first modulated pulse and the second modulated signal having a given time interval; and
a capacitor, wherein the capacitor is charged by the first modulated pulse, is discharged by the second modulated pulse, and outputs a voltage according to the charging and discharging as a clock signal.

10. The low-jitter digital clock signal generating system of claim 9 , further comprising:
an optical attenuator configured to adjust the powers of the optical pulses output from the pulse laser; and
an optical delay line configured to adjust the delay difference such that the current pulses generated based on the optical pulses output from the pulse laser overlap each other,
wherein the optical pulses, of which the powers and the delay difference are adjusted through the optical attenuator and the optical delay line, are input to the first balanced photodetector and the second balanced photodetector.

11. The low-jitter digital clock signal generating system of claim 10 , wherein the optical attenuator and the optical delay line vary the powers and the delay difference of the optical pulses respectively input to the first balanced photodetector and the second balanced photodetector to vary a waveform of the clock signal.

12. The low-jitter digital clock signal generating system of claim 9 , wherein, by adjusting the powers and the delay difference of the optical pulses generating electrical pulses, each of the first modulated pulse and the second modulated pulse is generated to have a shape including rising edge characteristics of the electrical pulses overlapping each other.

13. The low-jitter digital clock signal generating system of claim 9 , wherein each of the first balanced photodetector and the second balanced photodetector is implemented with a p-i-n photodiode.

14. The low-jitter digital clock signal generating system of claim 9 , wherein each of the first balanced photodetector and the second balanced photodetector is implemented with a uni-travelling carrier (UTC)/modified uni-travelling carrier (MUTC) photodiode.

Assignees

• Korea Advanced Inst Sci & Tech
• Univ Korea Res & Business Foundation Sejong Campus
• Korean Univ Research And Business Foundation Sejong Campus

Inventors

• Kim Jungwon
• Chung Hayun Cecillia
• Hyun Minji
• Na Yongjin

Classifications

• G06F1/105 Primary

  in which the distribution is at least partially optical · CPC title

• H03K3/42 Primary

  by the use, as active elements, of opto-electronic devices, i.e. light-emitting and photoelectric devices electrically- or optically-coupled · CPC title

• H03K3/53 Primary

  by the use of an energy-accumulating element discharged through the load by a switching device controlled by an external signal and not incorporating positive feedback (H03K3/335 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01J2001/446

  Photodiode · CPC title

• G01J2001/4238

  Pulsed light · CPC title