All-optical broadband phase modulation of a subcarrier in a radio over fiber system.

An optical modulator that provides broadband phase modulation of microwave subcarriers directly in the photonic domain has been proposed. This modulator, which involves no millimeter-wave device, can provide a dispersion-tolerant output signal with arbitrary phase shift. Therefore it has wide applications in high-frequency radio over fiber systems employing complex constellation modulation. Simulations and a proof-of-concept experiment demonstrate the feasibility of the modulator.