Photonic RF frequency measurement combining SSB-SC modulation and birefringence

A new technique to instantaneously measure microwave frequency and amplitude is presented and experimentally demonstrated. The architecture described is based on a single sideband modulation with suppressed carrier (SSB-SC) and the measurement of the Stokes parameters at the output of a birefringent medium. The results show errors below 50 MHz in the 59% of measurements carried out in a range from 1 to 11 GHz and an average power error of 0.34 dB. The technique shows the potential to increase the resolution and the range by increasing the differential time delay of the birefringent medium.