Stable radio-frequency delivery by λ dispersion-induced optical tunable delay

Area of Science:

• Optoelectronics
• Telecommunications Engineering
• Signal Processing

Background:

• Maintaining stable radio frequency (RF) signal integrity over long distances is challenging due to fiber link fluctuations.
• Existing methods often struggle with dynamic compensation for time-delay variations, limiting precision delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and demonstrate a novel, stable radio-over-fiber (ROF) system for precise long-distance RF signal delivery.
• To dynamically compensate for time-delay variations caused by fiber-link fluctuations.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a radio-over-fiber link acting as a long phase-locking loop.
• Inclusion of an optical tunable delay line to dynamically adjust for fiber-link fluctuations.
• Utilizing an optical carrier with variable wavelength and fiber-link dispersion to achieve tunable delay.

Main Results:

• Experimental demonstration of large and fine optical-delay tunability.
• Successful transfer of a 2.42 GHz RF reference signal over 54 km.
• Achieved a significant time jitter compression factor of 588.

Conclusions:

• The proposed ROF system offers a stable and effective solution for long-distance RF signal delivery.
• The dynamic compensation mechanism effectively mitigates time-delay variations, enhancing signal fidelity.
• The system's performance, evidenced by the high jitter compression factor, shows its potential for advanced communication applications.