Multichannel AM video transmission using a high-power Nd:YAG laser and linearized external modulator

A high-power Nd:YAG laser with a linearized external modulator-based system is demonstrated for a transmission of 50 channels of vestigal sideband amplitude modulated (VSM AM) video. The 1320-nm diode-pumped Nd:YAG laser is an attractive source for AM video transmission due to the high output power (~200 mW) and low relative intensity noise (<-170 dB/Hz). However, the required external modulator generates third-order distortion products, which limit the performance of such a system. A predistortion linearization technique is described. It reduces the modulator generated third-order distortion products by 16.4 dB, allowing a modulation index of 3.37% per channel. When combined with the Nd:YAG laser, this yields a 50-channel video transmission system with a 12 dB optical power budget for video carrier-to-noise ratios of 52 dB and composite distortion products (CSO and CTB) of less than -60 dBc. The demonstrated power budget is sufficient to allow four-way power splitting, with the remaining margin comparable to the test results obtained with DFB (distributed-feedback) laser-based AM transmission systems