A low-loss downconverting analog fiber-optic link

An analog fiber-optic link for concurrent detection and downconversion of microwave signals is reported. Optical amplification is employed in conjunction with electrical power combining of photodetectors to demonstrate link losses of 19.6 and 22.9 dB at RF carrier frequencies of 9 and 16 GHz, respectively. Analytic expressions validating the experimental observations are also developed. The link may be employed to detect phase sensitive or phase-modulated microwave signals and shows excellent potential for application in sensor systems involving remoting of an antenna element. >

[1]  Kai Chang,et al.  Microwave Solid-State Circuits and Applications , 1994 .

[2]  Charles H. Cox.  High-performance fiber-optic links for microwave applications , 1993, 1993 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium Digest.

[3]  R. W. McElhanon,et al.  40 GHz, low half-wave voltage Ti:LiNbO/sub 3/ intensity modulator , 1992 .

[4]  Thomas E. Darcie,et al.  Subcarrier Multiplexing for Lightwave Networks and Video Distribution Systems , 1990, IEEE J. Sel. Areas Commun..

[5]  A. Cavaciuti,et al.  Noise measurements in EDFAs , 1994 .

[6]  Ronald D. Esman,et al.  Observation of photodetector nonlinearities , 1992 .

[7]  W. K. Burns,et al.  Microwave-optical mixing in LiNbO/sub 3/ modulators , 1993 .

[8]  G. Betts,et al.  An analytic and experimental comparison of direct and external modulation in analog fiber-optic links , 1990 .

[9]  Simon Haykin,et al.  Communication Systems , 1978 .

[10]  Ronald T. Logan,et al.  Millimeter-wave photonic downconvertors: theory and demonstrations , 1995, Optics & Photonics.

[11]  J. L. Dexter,et al.  Fiber-optic prism true time-delay antenna feed , 1993, IEEE Photonics Technology Letters.

[12]  A. S. Greenblatt,et al.  Performance and modeling of broadband LiNbO/sub 3/ traveling wave optical intensity modulators , 1994 .

[13]  B. Kolner,et al.  Intermodulation distortion and compression in an integrated electrooptic modulator. , 1987, Applied optics.

[14]  H. Miyazawa,et al.  75 GHz broadband Ti:LiNbO3 optical modulator with ridge structure , 1994 .

[15]  Afshin S. Daryoush,et al.  Interfaces for high speed fiber-optic links: analysis and experiment , 1991 .

[16]  G. Abbas,et al.  A dual-detector optical heterodyne receiver for local oscillator noise suppression , 1985, Journal of Lightwave Technology.

[17]  Robert Olshansky,et al.  Subcarrier multiplexed lightwave systems for broad-band distribution , 1989 .

[18]  John E. Bowers,et al.  Long distance fiber-optic transmission of C-band microwave signals to and from a satellite antenna , 1987 .