A Robust Hertz-Linewidth Quantum-Dot Coherent Swept Source with Adaptive Self-Linearization
Abstract
Frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) techniques underpin both coherent optical ranging and microwave radar, creating a common demand for highly coherent and highly linear frequency-chirped sources across the optical and microwave domains. Conventional semiconductor lasers, however, are fundamentally constrained by trade-offs among linewidth, linear tunability, and operational robustness. Here, we present a robust self-linearized quantum-dot (QD) coherent swept-source architecture through the co-design of source physics and system control. The chaos-free characteristics of QD lasers enable stable low-quality-factor external-cavity locking, yielding a Lorentzian linewidth of 12.6 Hz. Unlike self-injection-locked lasers, broadband external optical feedback allows the laser to maintain high optical coherence and stable operation over a wide current-tuning range, thereby enabling robust turnkey operation together with a chirp bandwidth of 23.2 GHz. Furthermore, a statistically gated real-time iterative learning control (ILC) strategy reduces the chirp nonlinearity (1−R2) to as low as 8.96×10−8, while maintaining excellent environmental stability under laser-temperature variations. To demonstrate practicality, we demonstrate isolator-free coherent LiDAR and photonic generation of frequency-agile, linearly chirped microwave waveforms, establishing a common FMCW source platform for optical ranging and radar waveform synthesis. To the best of our knowledge, we demonstrate for the first time a QD-based coherent swept source that simultaneously combines hertz-level linewidth and ultrahigh chirp linearity, which we envision as a unified source platform for FMCW signal generation and coherent sensing across the optical and microwave domains.
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BibTeX
@misc{chen2026robust,
title = {{A Robust Hertz-Linewidth Quantum-Dot Coherent Swept Source with Adaptive Self-Linearization}},
author = {Wei Chen and Anyao Zhu and Yueyang Zhang and Cunyu Shi and Tao Shu and Taijie Li and Gaopeng Wang and Zhile Wu and Liang Tang and Ying Yu and Chenlei Li and Daoxin Dai},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2609.36666},
eprint = {2609.36666},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.36666},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - A Robust Hertz-Linewidth Quantum-Dot Coherent Swept Source with Adaptive Self-Linearization
AU - Wei Chen
AU - Anyao Zhu
AU - Yueyang Zhang
AU - Cunyu Shi
AU - Tao Shu
AU - Taijie Li
AU - Gaopeng Wang
AU - Zhile Wu
AU - Liang Tang
AU - Ying Yu
AU - Chenlei Li
AU - Daoxin Dai
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/29
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2609.36666
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.36666
AB - Frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) techniques underpin both coherent optical ranging and microwave radar, creating a common demand for highly coherent and highly linear frequency-chirped sources across the optical and microwave domains. Conventional semiconductor lasers, however, are fundamentally constrained by trade-offs among linewidth, linear tunability, and operational robustness. Here, we present a robust self-linearized quantum-dot (QD) coherent swept-source architecture through the co-design of source physics and system control. The chaos-free characteristics of QD lasers enable stable low-quality-factor external-cavity locking, yielding a Lorentzian linewidth of 12.6 Hz. Unlike self-injection-locked lasers, broadband external optical feedback allows the laser to maintain high optical coherence and stable operation over a wide current-tuning range, thereby enabling robust turnkey operation together with a chirp bandwidth of 23.2 GHz. Furthermore, a statistically gated real-time iterative learning control (ILC) strategy reduces the chirp nonlinearity (1−R^2) to as low as 8.96×10^−8, while maintaining excellent environmental stability under laser-temperature variations. To demonstrate practicality, we demonstrate isolator-free coherent LiDAR and photonic generation of frequency-agile, linearly chirped microwave waveforms, establishing a common FMCW source platform for optical ranging and radar waveform synthesis. To the best of our knowledge, we demonstrate for the first time a QD-based coherent swept source that simultaneously combines hertz-level linewidth and ultrahigh chirp linearity, which we envision as a unified source platform for FMCW signal generation and coherent sensing across the optical and microwave domains.
ER -