Proposal for all-optical generation of multiple-frequency millimeter-wave signals for RoF system with multiple base stations using FWM in SOA

Abstract

An approach for the multiple-frequency millimeter-wave (mm-wave) signals generation is proposed and demonstrated, specifically, which can be applied to a radio-over-fiber (RoF) system with multiple base stations (BSs). In this scheme, optical double sideband (ODSB) modulation is achieved using a Mach-Zehnder modulator (MZM) to generate the two-sideband signals. New frequencies of the optical signals are obtained by using four-wave mixing (FWM) in a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA). At the BSs, two different frequencies are achieved using a comb optical filter (COF), and which then input a photodiode (PD) to generate the mm-wave signals with the frequencies of 20, 40 or 60 GHz for different BSs, by mixing of these frequencies components. Experimental results verify that the proposed multiple-frequency mm-wave signals generation scheme for a RoF system with multiple base stations can work properly.