We demonstrate how phase-locking a whispering gallery mode-stabilized semiconductor laser to a high-stability Erbium-based distributed feedback fiber laser makes an outstanding optical reference for photonic microwave generation using an optical frequency comb. Using only commercially available compact lasers, it allows generation of a 12-GHz microwave signal with absolute levels of phase noise below -47 dBc/Hz at 1 Hz and -170 dBc/Hz at 50 kHz from the carrier.

Full article:

IEEE Photonics Technology Letters, Vol. 29, p. 1403 (2017)

doi: 10.1109/LPT.2017.2723821