150  m/280  Gbps WDM/SDM FSO link based on OEO-based BLS and afocal telescopes

A 150 m/280 Gbps free-space optical (FSO) link based on an optoelectronic oscillator (OEO)-based broadband light source (BLS), afocal telescopes, and wavelength-division-multiplexing (WDM)/space-division-multiplexing (SDM) convergence is proposed. Experimental results show that the transmission distance of FSO links is significantly increased by afocal telescopes, and the transmission rate of FSO links is greatly enhanced by WDM and SDM convergence. With the aid of a low noise amplifier and clock/data recovery, good bit error rate performance and a clear eye diagram are achieved at 150 m/280 Gbps operation. This proposed 150 m/280 Gbps WDM/SDM FSO link is shown to be a prominent alternative not only because of its advancement of indoor FSO communications but also because of the advantages of optical wireless communications for a long transmission distance and high transmission rate.