Optical RF Self-Interference Cancellation by Using an Integrated Dual-Parallel MZM

Abstract

An optical approach to implement radio-frequency (RF) self-interference cancellation using an integrated dual-parallel Mach–Zehnder modulator (DP-MZM) is proposed and demonstrated experimentally. The received signals and the reference signal are converted into optical domain via the sub-MZMs (MZM1 and MZM2) in the DP-MZM, which are biased at the quadrature point and the minimum point with the output of double sideband with carrier signal and double sideband with carrier-suppressed signal, respectively. It avoids the optical interference at the combining Y branch waveguide. The time and the amplitude matching conditions for cancellation between the reference signal and the interference signal are completed by the electrical tunable time delay line and the phase shifter in the MZM2 path. A cancellation depth larger than 80 dB is obtained for the single-frequency signal of 2.4, 5, 8, and 10 GHz. For the bandwidth of 100 MHz, cancellation depths as high as 35.8, 33.1, and 38.3 dB are realized at frequencies of 2.4, 5, 8, and 10 GHz, respectively.