MILLIMETER-WAVE NARROW-BAND OPTICAL-FIBER LINKS USING EXTERNAL-CAVITYSEMICONDUCTOR-LASERS

We present the theoretical analysis and the experimental implementatio n of a narrowband millimeter wave optical fiber communication system u sing an external cavity semiconductor laser. We derive analytic expres sions and present experimental data for the modulation response, relat ive intensity noise, carrier-to-noise ratio, and harmonic distortion f or a semiconductor laser in an external cavity operating as a transmit ter in the millimeter wave frequency range. We present a system implem entation of this capable of transmitting 40-Mbt/s digital data at a 35 -GHz subcarrier frequency with bit-error rates below 10(-9) over a 6.3 -km-long optical fiber link.