An exact analytical model for dispersive transmission in microwave fiber-optic links using Mach-Zehnder external modulator

A new exact analytical model is presented to analyze the dispersive transmission in microwave fiber-optic links using a dual-drive Mach-Zehnder external modulator (DD-MZM). The model is very general and can be applied to almost all operating conditions of DD-MZM, such as bias point, drive level, phase shift, and modulation index difference between DD-MZM drives. The model results in simple new closed-form expressions for output power spectrum, permitting an accurate and fast analysis of such links. Expressions for two special cases, double sideband and single sideband modulation, are included, together with a novel presentation of some new results on power fading of fundamental and second harmonic.