Broadband high dynamic range fiber optic link based on a dual-polarization modulator

This paper presents a simple, linearized fiber-optic link that is capable of realizing a high spurious free dynamic range (SFDR) at different input RF signal frequencies without the need of readjusting system parameters. The link is based on a commercial dual-polarization modulator followed by a linear polarizer. The third-order nonlinearity at the third-order intermodulation distortion frequency can be cancelled by designing the angle of the linear polarizer. No electrical component is involved in the linearization process. The high SFDR performance is theoretically analyzed, simulated using photonic simulation software, and experimentally verified. Experimental verification of the dual-polarization modulator-based linearized fiber-optic link shows that a high SFDR of more than 124 dB·Hz ^4/5 is obtained at different input RF signal frequencies over a 2-18 GHz bandwidth. An SFDR of 127.3 dB·Hz ^4/5 is also demonstrated with the use of an optical amplifier to increase the link output average optical power, which is among the highest reported SFDRs measured in a fiber-optic link.