Microwave photonics: radio-over-fiber links, systems, and applications [Invited]

Abstract

Microwave photonics (MWPs) uses the strength of photonic techniques to generate, process, control, and distribute microwave signals, combining the advantages of microwaves and photonics. As one of the main topics of MWP, radio-over-fiber (RoF) links can provide features that are very difficult or even impossible to achieve with traditional technologies. Meanwhile, a considerable number of signal-processing subsystems have been carried out in the field of MWP as they are instrumental for the implementation of many functionalities. However, there are still several challenges in strengthening the performance of the technology to support systems and applications with more complex structures, multiple functionality, larger bandwidth, and larger processing capability. In this paper, we identify some of the notable challenges in MWP and review our recent work. Applications and future direction of research are also discussed.

OSSB modulation of tunable optical carrier-to-sideband ratio with FBG-based acousto-optic tunable filter

“…(2) and (4). Based on these sets of data, the whole OSSB-RoF system is simulated by commercial simulation software Optisystem 10.0 [28].…”

“…Radio over Fiber (RoF), the integration of wireless and optical systems, has been considered a promising technology in wide applications due to its unique advantages of low cost, low loss, high capacity and high immunity to electromagnetic interferences [1][2][3][4][5]. High quality millimeter-wave signal generation technology is one of the key technologies to realize low cost and high transmission performance in the RoF systems.…”

Feasibility analysis of WDM links for radar applications

“…This is achieved by generating of stable radio frequency signals having arbitrary waveforms and detecting the signals by direct digitization without downconversion. Xu et al [14] described about the advantage of using photonic techniques to generate and distribute the microwave signals and also addressed various challenges in system realization.…”

Highly linear W-band receiver front-end based on higher-order optical sideband processing

“…Without OSB processing, the phase of the fundamental tones in ES 1 and ES 2 are totally the same, and different than that in ES 3 , while the phase of the IMD3s in ES 2 are the same as that in ES 3 . For the amplitude of these sources, ES 2 is larger than ES 1 and ES 3 . Thus, we can adjust the amplitude of the 0-OSB and the shifted phase of the AE2-OSB to cancel out the six sources of the IMD3.…”

“…Combining with the advantages of fiber optics, such as large bandwidth, low loss, and immunity to electromagnetic interference, radio-over-fiber (ROF) techniques provide a more promising future for millimeter-wave (MMW) application systems, such as broadband wireless access networks, radar systems, and electronic warfare systems [1][2][3][4] . In MMW ROF links, the W-band (75-110 GHz) has attracted increasing interest due to relatively low atmospheric loss and large unregulated bandwidth [5,6] .…”