Simplified Coherent Receiver for Analogue Radio Transmission Over High Optical Budgets

The bandwidth and latency demands driven by 5G wireless networks are putting a focus on analog radio-over-fiber techniques as promising candidate for broadband optical fronthauling. In contrast to intensity modulation / direct detection systems, they commonly adopted mobile fronthaul links due their simplicity, we exploring migration option towards coherent transmission. A simplified homodyne receiver based an electro-absorption modulated laser is co-integrated at the die-level with transimpedance amplifier evaluated analogue This low-complexity can unlock channel selectivity high sensitivity inherent detection, but without need digital signal processing. We will demonstrate that allows budget of 42 dB, thus eases fixed-mobile convergence in power-splitting fiber plants. further show filterless radio reception presence adjacent channels. Signal integrity confirmed through transmission orthogonally frequency multiplexed signals 16-point quadrature amplitude formats, error vector magnitude below corresponding antenna limit.