Chromatic Dispersion in 60 GHz Radio-Over-Fiber Networks Based on Mode-Locked Lasers

Chromatic dispersion is a limiting factor in intensity-modulated radio-over-fiber links with direct detection. This paper investigates its influence on single-mode fiber links based on mode-locked laser sources through simulation and experiment. A time-based approach is used to describe the impact of chromatic dispersion after transmission across a single-mode fiber link. The simulations presented herein give hints for the design of dedicated mode-locked lasers that can later serve in dispersion-tolerant radio-over-fiber networks. The findings of the simulations are experimentally validated for a laser delivering a 60 GHz radio carrier, and for a link of 400 m length which represents a realistic link length for in-house distribution. Furthermore, the impact of chromatic dispersion on signal quality is demonstrated for WLAN transmission employing direct and external link modulation.