Intermodulation distortions are generated by Mach-Zehnder modulators when they are driven by signals with certain bandwidth in microwave (MW) and millimeter-wave (MMW) radio-over-fiber (ROF) links. The optical spectral structure of the distorted optical signal is investigated. A strategy to improve the dynamic range of MW and MMW ROF links directly in the optical domain is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. Based on optical spectrum processing, the third-order intermodulation distortions (IMD3s) of the generated signals are suppressed. A 107.2dB∙Hz^2/3 spurious-free dynamic range (SFDR) of the MW/MMW ROF link is obtained, which is improved more than 20dB. A 16QAM signal is transmitted in the system and the error vector magnitude (EVM) is measured with and without the proposed technique. The influence of the nonlinearity of modulators on EVM is almost completely eliminated.

© 2012 OSA

1. A. M. J. Koonen and M. G. Í. Larrodé, “Radio-Over-MMF Techniques-Part II: Microwave to Millimeter-Wave Systems,” J. Lightwave Technol.26(15), 2396–2408 (2008). [CrossRef]
2. M. J. Fice, E. Rouvalis, F. van Dijk, A. Accard, F. Lelarge, C. C. Renaud, G. Carpintero, and A. J. Seeds, “146-GHz millimeter-wave radio-over-fiber photonic wireless transmission system,” Opt. Express20(2), 1769–1774 (2012). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
3. J. James, P. Shen, A. Nkansah, X. Liang, and N. J. Gomes, “Nonlinearity and Noise Effects in Multi-Level Signal Millimeter-Wave Over Fiber Transmission Using Single and Dual Wavelength Modulation,” IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech.58(11), 3189–3198 (2010). [CrossRef]
4. S. Li, X. Zheng, H. Zhang, and B. Zhou, “Highly Linear Radio-Over-Fiber System Incorporating a Single-Drive Dual-Parallel Mach-Zehnder Modulator,” IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett.22(24), 1775–1777 (2010). [CrossRef]
5. C. Lim, A. T. Nirmalathas, K.-L. Lee, D. Novak, and R. Waterhouse, “Intermodulation Distortion Improvement for Fiber–Radio Applications Incorporating OSSB+C Modulation in an Optical Integrated-Access Environment,” J. Lightwave Technol.25(6), 1602–1612 (2007). [CrossRef]
6. B. Masella, B. Hraimel, and X. Zhang, “Enhanced Spurious-Free Dynamic Range Using Mixed Polarization in Optical Single Sideband Mach-Zehnder Modulator,” J. Lightwave Technol.27(15), 3034–3041 (2009). [CrossRef]
7. S. K. Kim, W. Liu, Q. Pei, L. R. Dalton, and H. R. Fetterman, “Nonlinear intermodulation distortion suppression in coherent analog fiber optic link using electro-optic polymeric dual parallel Mach-Zehnder modulator,” Opt. Express19(8), 7865–7871 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
8. J. Chou, O. Boyraz, and B. Jalali, “Adaptive optical post distortion linearization,” Opt. Express13(15), 5711–5718 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
9. A. M. Weiner, Ultrafast Optics (Wiley, 2009).

IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett.

• S. Li, X. Zheng, H. Zhang, and B. Zhou, “Highly Linear Radio-Over-Fiber System Incorporating a Single-Drive Dual-Parallel Mach-Zehnder Modulator,” IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett.22(24), 1775–1777 (2010). [CrossRef]

IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech.

• J. James, P. Shen, A. Nkansah, X. Liang, and N. J. Gomes, “Nonlinearity and Noise Effects in Multi-Level Signal Millimeter-Wave Over Fiber Transmission Using Single and Dual Wavelength Modulation,” IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech.58(11), 3189–3198 (2010). [CrossRef]

J. Lightwave Technol.

• A. M. J. Koonen and M. G. Í. Larrodé, “Radio-Over-MMF Techniques-Part II: Microwave to Millimeter-Wave Systems,” J. Lightwave Technol.26(15), 2396–2408 (2008). [CrossRef]
• C. Lim, A. T. Nirmalathas, K.-L. Lee, D. Novak, and R. Waterhouse, “Intermodulation Distortion Improvement for Fiber–Radio Applications Incorporating OSSB+C Modulation in an Optical Integrated-Access Environment,” J. Lightwave Technol.25(6), 1602–1612 (2007). [CrossRef]
• B. Masella, B. Hraimel, and X. Zhang, “Enhanced Spurious-Free Dynamic Range Using Mixed Polarization in Optical Single Sideband Mach-Zehnder Modulator,” J. Lightwave Technol.27(15), 3034–3041 (2009). [CrossRef]

Opt. Express

• S. K. Kim, W. Liu, Q. Pei, L. R. Dalton, and H. R. Fetterman, “Nonlinear intermodulation distortion suppression in coherent analog fiber optic link using electro-optic polymeric dual parallel Mach-Zehnder modulator,” Opt. Express19(8), 7865–7871 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• J. Chou, O. Boyraz, and B. Jalali, “Adaptive optical post distortion linearization,” Opt. Express13(15), 5711–5718 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• M. J. Fice, E. Rouvalis, F. van Dijk, A. Accard, F. Lelarge, C. C. Renaud, G. Carpintero, and A. J. Seeds, “146-GHz millimeter-wave radio-over-fiber photonic wireless transmission system,” Opt. Express20(2), 1769–1774 (2012). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Other

• A. M. Weiner, Ultrafast Optics (Wiley, 2009).

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