Usability of a 5G fronthaul based on a DML and external modulation for M-QAM transmission over photonically generated 40 GHz

• Published in: IEEE Access
• Main Authors: Vallejo-Castro, Luis, Ortega Tamarit, Beatriz, Nguyen, Dong-Nhat, Bohata, Jan, Almenar Terre, Vicenç, Zvanovec, Stanislav
• Other Authors: Universitat Politècnica de València. Departamento de Comunicaciones - Departament de Comunicacions, Universitat Politècnica de València. Instituto Universitario de Telecomunicación y Aplicaciones Multimedia - Institut Universitari de Telecomunicacions i Aplicacions Multimèdia, Generalitat Valenciana, Agencia Estatal de Investigación, European Cooperation in Science and Technology, Ministry of Industry and Trade, República Checa
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 2020
• Subjects: archeo; info; Ortega; DML
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2020.3042756; http://hdl.handle.net/10251/168687

S [EN] In this paper, we numerically and experimentally present the bandwidth constraints of a cost-effective 5G mobile fronthaul based on a directly-modulated laser for data modulation and a Mach-Zehnder modulator-based optical double sideband with carrier suppression scheme for optical millimeter wave (mmW) signal generation. The effect of chirp, fiber dispersion and a combination of both on different bandwidth M-Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (M-QAM) signals, i.e. M = 4, 16 and 64, at 40 GHz has also been investigated. Simulation results are firrst carried out to evaluate the impact of higher chirp of the directly-modulated laser on the link performance as a function of modulation format and signal bandwidth. We then experimentally demonstrate the same scheme transmitting M-QAM signals with bandwidths ranging from 50 to 1000 MHz over a 10 km long single mode fiber. Both experimental and simulation results show that larger signal bandwidths lead to higher optical power penalties due to the combined effect with the error vector magnitudes (EVMs), however still satisfying the required limits of 3GPP standard for allQAMsignals. Experimental measurements also showthe feasibility of including free space optics links in the optical distribution network with no further signi cant penalties. Finally, a multiband signal (three-band) transmission is demonstrated leading to an increase of the total bitrate with the measured EVMs are well below the EVM requirement. This work was supported in part by the Generalitat Valenciana under Grant PROMETEO 2017/103, in part by the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovacion y Universidades under Grant FOCAL RTI2018-101658-B-I00, in part by the Ministerstvo Prumyslu a Obchodu under Grant FV40089, and in part by the European Cooperation in Science and Technology under Grant CA16220. Vallejo-Castro, L.; Ortega Tamarit, B.; Nguyen, D.; Bohata, J.; Almenar Terre, V.; Zvanovec, S. (2020). Usability of a 5G fronthaul based on a DML and external modulation for M-QAM transmission over photonically ...