Abstract

The advantages of optical fiber as a transmission medium for microwave signals have led to an increasing interest in implementing RF photonic links in radar frontends. Many critical radar applications, such as those found in modern military systems, often require a large spur-free dynamic range (SFDR) that is beyond the reach of conventional intensity modulated-direct detection (IM-DD) fiber-optic links. For a solution, we propose a coherent amplitude-modulated link with optical down-conversion that can achieve high dynamic range by employing a receiver with balanced detection and digital linearization. The link is presented along with experimental validation. The measurements show notable dynamic range enhancements over prior arts in down-conversion RF photonic links.

Down-conversion IM-DD RF photonic link utilizing MQW MZ modulator

Longtao Xu, Shilei Jin, and Yifei Li
Opt. Express 24(8) 8405-8410 (2016)

Wideband OPLL photonic integrated circuit enabling ultrahigh dynamic range PM RF/photonic link

Yifei Li, Longtao Xu, Shilei Jin, Jeffrey Rodriguez, Tianyu Sun, and Peter Herczfeld
Optica 6(8) 1078-1083 (2019)

Feedforward linearization for RF photonic link with broadband adjustment-free operation

Yitang Dai, Xiaodong Liang, Feifei Yin, Junyi Zhang, Jianqiang Li, Wangzhe Li, and Kun Xu
Opt. Express 25(17) 20770-20779 (2017)

Down-conversion RF/photonic link with a monolithically integrated ACP-OPLL phase demodulator

Longtao Xu, Shilei Jin, and Yifei Li
Opt. Express 25(18) 21705-21710 (2017)

Digital suppression of both cross and inter-modulation distortion in multi-carrier RF photonic link with down-conversion

Xiaodong Liang, Yitang Dai, Feifei Yin, Xi Liang, Jianqiang Li, and Kun Xu
Opt. Express 22(23) 28247-28255 (2014)