Generation and Transport of mmWaves for the Next Generation Communication Applications

Generation of mmWave radio frequency signals along with the associated modulated data at the antenna site through optical methods offers benefits of frequency agility, ease of frequency scaling and reduction in hardware complexity. In this paper, we discuss the possible options including RF over fiber, IF transport with up conversion and optical phase locked loop. We experimentally demonstrate the generation and demodulation of data in modulation formats ranging from QPSK to 256 QAM in radio frequencies ranging from X band to mm Waves using these techniques. We also carry out performance evaluation and the associated tradeoffs, thereby providing a pathway for photonic solutions for the next generation mmWave and THz links for wireless, radar and satellite links.