Generation of a frequency sextupled optical millimeter wave with a suppressed central carrier using one single-electrode modulator

•Sextupling frequency mm-wave is generation by using only one single-electrode modulator.•By adjusting bias and peak-to-peak voltage, undesired sidebands are suppressed.•The system use only one single-electrode modulator can reduce cost greatly and the local oscillator is further reduced.

We have theoretically and experimentally investigated the generation of optical millimeter wave (mm-wave) generation based on a quadrupling and sextupling technique using one single-electrode intensity modulator (IM) with a simultaneously suppressed optical central carrier. By adjusting the bias voltage and utilizing proper peak-to-peak voltage of the RF signal drive on the IM, undesired sidebands can be suppressed. Based on this rule, an experiment was performed to generate 48 and 72-GHz optical mm-waves using a sinusoidal clock source running at only 12 GHz.