Optical single sideband modulation based on a high-order birefringent filter using cascaded Solc-Sagnac and Lyot-Sagnac loops

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a simple and flexible photonic approach to implementing single sideband (SSB) modulation based on optical spectral filtering. The high-order birefringent filter is realized through the cascaded Solc-Sagnac and Lyot-Sagnac loops. By adjusting the rotation angle of the polarization controller (PC), the notch position to remove undesired sidebands changes. The frequency for SSB modulation varies accordingly. The periodical response of the filter spectrum allows both the carrier wavelength and the optical carrier to sideband ratio (OCSR) to be tunable. SSB modulation over a frequency range from 5 to 40 GHz and tunable OCSR ranging from -9.174 to 34.408 dB are obtained. The significant merits of the proposed approach are the simple structure, easy operation, large frequency range, tunable OCSR, and wavelength independence. The approach has potential applications in optimizing the transmission performance of photonic microwave signal processing systems.