The advantages of optical fiber as a transmission medium for microwave signals have led to an increasing interest in implementing RF photonic links in radar frontends. Many critical radar applications, such as those found in modern military systems, often require a large spur-free dynamic range (SFDR) that is beyond the reach of conventional intensity modulated-direct detection (IM-DD) fiber-optic links. For a solution, we propose a coherent amplitude-modulated link with optical down-conversion that can achieve high dynamic range by employing a receiver with balanced detection and digital linearization. The link is presented along with experimental validation. The measurements show notable dynamic range enhancements over prior arts in down-conversion RF photonic links.

中文翻译：

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相干调幅射频光子链路


光纤作为微波信号传输介质的优势使得人们对在雷达前端实现射频光子链路越来越感兴趣。许多关键雷达应用（例如现代军事系统中的雷达应用）通常需要大的无杂散动态范围 (SFDR)，这超出了传统强度调制直接检测 (IM-DD) 光纤链路的范围。对于解决方案，我们提出了一种具有光学下变频功能的相干调幅链路，它可以通过采用具有平衡检测和数字线性化的接收器来实现高动态范围。该链接与实验验证一起提供。测量结果表明，下变频射频光子链路的动态范围比现有技术显着增强。