5G NR fiber-FSO-wireless systems with dual-polarization and single-carrier optical modulation schemes (invited)

Abstract

A fifth-generation (5G) new radio (NR) fiber-free-space-optical (FSO)-wireless system with dual-polarization and single”–carrier optical modulation schemes is proposed and realized for the first time. Compared with the single-polarization scheme, adopting the dual-polarization scheme is attractive because it can significantly enhance the transmission capacity of the system. Compared with the multi-carrier optical modulation scheme, using single-carrier optical modulation is attractive because it can effectually suppress the dispersion-induced limitations caused by fiber transmission and distortions produced by beating from multiple optical carries. Through 40-km single-mode fiber, 500-m FSO, and 4-m/3-m/2-m/1-m/0.5-m 5G wireless cascaded-medium, 5G NR millimeter-wave (MMW) and sub-THz signals are transmitted with low bit error rates (<3.8 × 10−3 forward error correction limit) and clear constellations in x- and y-polarizations. This newly-built 5G NR fiber-FSO-wireless system shows promise to enable 5G NR evolution toward MMW and sub-THz bands, which has a substantial impact on the convergence of fiber optics, optical wireless, and 5G wireless communications.