Distributed microwave photonic link based on transistor lasers

A new microwave photonic link topology that is based on the application of distributed amplifier principles to transistor lasers is proposed. The E/O section consists of transistor lasers configured as a microwave distributed amplifier, with their optical outputs then feeding a traveling-wave photodiode array. Simulations are used to indicate the possibility of either extending the modulation bandwidth (compared to a single transistor laser feeding a single photodiode) or of producing a strongly peaked narrowband intensity modulation response.