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IEEE PHOTONICS TECHNOLOGY LETTERS, VOL. 24, NO. 20, OCTOBER 15, 2012

Multilevel Modulations for Gigabit Access

in a Simple Millimeter-Wave
Radio-Over-Fiber Link
A. H. M. Razibul Islam, Student Member, IEEE, Masuduzzaman Bakaul, Member, IEEE,
and Ampalavanapillai Nirmalathas, Senior Member, IEEE

Abstract A spectrally efficient and simplified full-duplex

millimeter-wave (mm-wave) radio-over-fiber (RoF) link is
proposed and experimentally demonstrated. For downlink, a
multilevel amplitude-shift-keying (M-ASK) modulation, such as
4-ASK, for a total data rate of 5 Gb/s, is applied on two uncorrelated optical carriers at the central station (CS) for remote
heterodyning at the photodetector. The mm-wave signal generated through the photodetection process is then self-homodyned
at the mm-wave receiver to recover the desired 4-ASK data.
For uplink, an RF self-homodyning technique is applied again
to retrieve the 4-ASK 5-Gb/s data at the base station before
being transported to the CS as a simpler baseband-over-fiber
transmission. While the actual generation, transport, and data
recovery remain simplified for the proposed mm-wave RoF link,
M-ASK implementation in such a system provides a spectrally
efficient and simplified scheme which supports higher data rates.
Index Terms Gigabit broadband access, microwave
photonics, millimeter-wave radio-over-fiber, optical heterodyning,
optical-wireless system integration.

I. I NTRODUCTION

ULTI-GIGABIT broadband wireless access (BWA)

technologies such as wireless metropolitan area
networks (WMAN) at 1066 GHz, wireless personal area
networks (WPAN) at 60 GHz and E bands operating at 70, 80
and 90 GHz are gaining particular interests now-a-days due to
their ability to provide high data rates for the ever-increasing
bandwidth demands at consumer-levels [1]. Commonly termed
as millimeter-wave (mm-wave) frequencies, such spectralcongestion-free domain is expected to offer aggregate channel
bandwidths of 10 GHz or higher [2]. Higher atmospheric
gain at these wireless frequencies however reduces the cell
size to pico- or femto cells (10100 meters) and thus requires
a large number of base stations (BS) for operational coverage
of a certain geographic area. MM-wave radio-over-fiber
Manuscript received June 4, 2012; revised August 23, 2012; accepted
September 2, 2012. Date of publication September 6, 2012; date of current
version September 26, 2012.
A. H. M. R. Islam and M. Bakaul are with National ICT Australia
Ltd. (NICTA), Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering,
University of Melbourne, Melbourne VIC-3010, Australia (e-mail:
aislam@ee.unimelb.edu.au; bakaulm@unimelb.edu.au).
A. Nirmalathas is with the Department of Electrical and Electronic
Engineering, University of Melbourne, Melbourne VIC-3010, Australia
(e-mail: nirmalat@unimelb.edu.au).
Color versions of one or more of the figures in this letter are available
online at http://ieeexplore.ieee.org.
Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/LPT.2012.2217485

(RoF) creates a potential solution in this regard where data

modulated mm-wave signal is transported and distributed to
the remote BSs through low loss optical media and later
recovered at the mm-wave receiver [3]. As such hybrid optical
and wireless approaches are destined to support customers at
access domain, simplified and efficient mm-wave generation,
transport and data recovery are pivotal for their commercial
deployments.
Several techniques for downlink have been proposed
over the years to address such challenges including the
phase/frequency locked correlated optical heterodyning [4], [5]
and coherent spectral generations using various modulation
formats [6], [7]. However, most of such techniques need
complex locking mechanisms and/or high-speed modulators,
local oscillators (LO) and associated electro-optic and RF
circuitry. For uplink, signal translational approach [8], [9]
generally requires high-speed LO and associated RF devices
which decreases the performance-to-cost ratio of RoF systems. Recently, we proposed [10] a combination of unlocked
optical heterodyning and RF self-homodyning which avoids
any phase/frequency locking and most of the high-speed
device requirements in such systems. Although spectrallyinefficient, simple ASK modulation was chosen in this case. In
this letter, to enable efficient utilization of signal bandwidth
to deliver higher data rates, we introduced multilevel ASK
(M-ASK) modulation in the proposed simplified RoF system while keeping the actual generation, transport and data
recovery schemes unchanged. Although, currently there are
no mm-wave RoF standards on M-ASK, 4-ASK return-tozero (RZ) format is chosen and envisaged in our work as it
doubles the data rate [11]. Additionally, reducing the symbol
rate through 4-ASK implementations allows cheaper RF and
optoelectronic components at the transmitter and receiver
while offering reduced hardware complexity due to using
incoherent detection at the receiver [12]. Therefore, a total data
rate of 5 Gbps is used in both downlink and uplink directions
for full-duplex demonstrations.
II. S YSTEM C ONFIGURATION AND E XPERIMENTAL S ETUP
Figure 1 shows the system configurations and experimental
setup for both the downlink and uplink demonstrations. For
downlink experiments, two uncorrelated distributed feedback
(DFB) lasers operating at 1549.110 nm and 1549.396 nm

10411135/$31.00 2012 IEEE

ISLAM et al.: MULTILEVEL MODULATIONS FOR GIGABIT ACCESS IN A SIMPLE mm-WAVE ROF LINK

1861

Optical Heterodyning
5 Gbps 4-ASK

PC
Base Station

a
1549.110 nm

DFB LD 2 PC

OC

OBPF

SMF

Att.

Att.

Data

f
LPF
RF Selfhomodyning

g
PD
Central Station

Amp.
MZM

LPF

DFB LD

LPF

5 Gbps
4-ASK
Data

DL
Data

UL MM-Wave
Generator
Customer Unit

RF Power (dBm)

-10
-30
-50
-70

baseband data

-20
-40
-60

mm-wave signal
0

-1549.11 -1549.31 -1549.51

10
20
30
Frequency (GHz)

Wavelength (nm)

32 34 36 38
Frequency (GHz)
(c)

40

RF Power (dBm)

30

40

(b)

(a)

0
-10
-20
-30
-40
-50

RF Power (dBm)

were combined at central station (CS) to create the mm-wave

carrier frequency of 35.75 GHz. Linewidths of the lasers were
200 KHz and 5 MHz respectively with relative intensity noise
of 145 dBc/Hz. A Tektronix arbitrary waveform generator
(AWG) was used to generate 5 Gbps RZ data in 4-ASK
format with a signal bandwidth of 2.5 GHz. Since the filtering
bandwidth requirement for RZ format is 1.5 times the data rate,
a LPF of 3.8 GHz bandwidth was utilized after the generated
data. The combined optical carriers were both modulated using
a 2.5 GHz Mach-Zehnder modulator (MZM). A drive voltage
of 1 volt (peak to peak) was applied from the AWG to the
MZM and the bias voltage of the MZM was 1.8 volt (peak
to peak). After the necessary optical amplifications by an
erbium doped fiber amplifier (EDFA), an optical bandpass
filter (OBPF) of 4 nm bandwidth was used to remove unwanted
amplified spontaneous emission noise. The signal was then
transported over a 25.1 km single mode fiber (SMF) before
remote heterodyning with a high-speed photodetector (PD).
The resulted signal after PD is a combination of phase-noiseaffected mm-wave signal at 35.75 GHz and its baseband
replica. Therefore, a combination of Miteq low-noise amplifier
(LNA) and a medium power amplifier (MPA) operating at
Ka band (26.540 GHz) was used to boost the modulated
mm-wave signal with around +30 dB amplification. This
band-limited amplification also suppressed the baseband
replica, as expected. Back to back (BTB) transmission was
made by using an Anritsu DC-65 GHz RF power divider
which split the signal before leading to the Miteq mixer for RF
self-homodyning. Another Ka band LNA was utilized before
driving the signal to the LO port of the mixer to provide
sufficient power before RF self-homodyning. A variable phase
shifter at Ka band was added before the RF port of the mixer
to enable phase-matching of signals in the two split paths.
After RF self-homodyning, a LPF of 3.8 GHz bandwidth was
used to recover the baseband data.
For the uplink demonstration, a 35.75 GHz LO at the
customer unit (CU) is used to up-convert the AWG generated
5 Gbps ASK RZ data. Similar to downlink, Ka band LNA
and MPAs were then used to amplify the mm-wave signal.
At the BS, RF self-homodyning arrangements were made
similar to downlink to retrieve the baseband 4-ASK data. The
recovered data is then modulated using a DFB laser operating

Optical Power (dBm)

System configuration and experimental setup for the full-duplex mm-wave RoF link.

RF Power (dBm)

Fig. 1.

SMF

Amp.

PD
1549.396 nm

MZM
EDFA

RF Selfhomodyning

Downlink mm-wave

b
Uplink mm-wave

DFB LD 1

0
-20
-40

baseband data

-60
0

10
20
30
Frequency (GHz)
(d)

40

0
-20
-40
-60
0

2000
4000
Frequency (MHz)
(e)

6000

Fig. 2. (a)(e) Optical and RF spectra for downlink at respective locations

a to d of the experimental setup in Fig. 1.

at 1549.15 nm and later detected by a low-speed PD and

recovered at the CS.
III. R ESULTS AND D ISCUSSION
For the downlink demonstration, relevant optical and
electrical spectra at respective points a to d of Fig. 1 are shown
in Fig. 2(a)(e). The modulated spectra after modulating
the 4-ASK RZ data are shown in Fig. 2(a). The modulated
mm-wave carrier after the PD with baseband replica is presented in Fig. 2(b). As can be seen, the modulated mm-wave
signal is weak and hence needs to be amplified. Fig. 2(c)
presents the amplified signal which filtered the broadband
noise at Ka band and thus the noise floor was dropped down.
RF spectra of the successfully recovered baseband data after
the RF self-homodyning and LPF are shown in Fig. 2(d). An
enlarged version of the recovered 4-ASK data is also shown
in Fig. 2(e).

IEEE PHOTONICS TECHNOLOGY LETTERS, VOL. 24, NO. 20, OCTOBER 15, 2012

30

32 34 36 38
Frequency (GHz)

40

0
-20
-40

12
Lower-eye

10
20
30
Frequency (GHz)
(b)

0
-20
-40

-20
-40
0

0
5000
Frequency (MHz)

10
20
30
Frequency (GHz)

40

Optical Power (dBm)

RF Power (dBm)

RF Power (dBm)

(a)

40

SNR (dB)

-10
-20
-30
-40
-50
-60

RF Power (dBm)

RF Power (dBm)

1862

11
10
9

-10
-30

-11
-50

-7

-70

Fig. 4.

Estimated SNR for the downlink using 4-ASK RZ data.

1549 1549.15 1549.3

-4

Wavelength (nm)

(c)

(d)

BTB
After fiber

-20
-40

-5

-60
2000
4000
Frequency (MHz)
(e)

6000

Fig. 3. (a)(e) Optical and RF spectra for uplink at respective locations

e to i in Fig. 1.

Similarly, for uplink, relevant RF and optical spectra at

respective points at e to i of Fig. 1 is shown in Fig. 3(a)(e).
The up-converted mm-wave signal after the mixing of LO
and 4-ASK data is shown in Fig. 3(a). The amplified version
of the modulated mm-wave signal is presented in Fig. 3(b).
RF spectra of the signal after the RF self-homodyning and
filtering is shown in Fig. 3(c) with an inset of the retrieved
data at BS. Fig. 3(d) shows the modulated optical spectra at
uplink prior to SMF transmission. The detected and filtered
4-ASK data is finally presented in Fig. 3(e).
The bit error rate (BER) can be estimated from the signal
to noise ratio (SNR) of the lower eye-openings (eye-diagrams
are shown in Figs. 5 and 6) using the relations as follows
[13][15]:
2


R PL 1 PL 0
(1)
SN R =
(0 + 1 )2


SN R
.
(2)
B E R = 0.5er f c
2
Here, R is the responsivity of the PD, PL 1 and PL 0 are the
power associated with logic 1 and logic 0. 02 and 12 are the
noise variances of the signal and can be expressed as
02 = PN0 + N FAM P + K T Bn N FR X
12 = PN1 + N FAM P + K T Bn N FR X .

(3)
(4)

Here, PN0 and PN1 are the total noise of the PD using
a Gaussian approximation including the shot noise variance
components associated with PL 0 and PL 1 respectively. Total
noise in this case constitutes the thermal noise, shot noise
and relative intensity noise. N FAM P and N FR X are the noise
figure of amplifiers and noise figure of the receiver respectively. K T Bn is the thermal noise at the RF receiver where K
is the Boltzmanns constant, T is the temperature in Kelvin

(a) Data Eye BTB

-6
Lower eye

10

log (BER)

RF Power (dBm)

-10
-9
-8
Received Optical Power (dBm)

-7
(b) Data Eye after fi ber

-8

0.25 dB

-9
-10

power penalty

-12

-10

-8

-6

-4

Received Optical Power (dBm)

Fig. 5. BER curves. (a) and (b) Eye diagrams for the downlink using 4-ASK
RZ data.

and Bn is the noise bandwidth. Fig. 4 represents the downlink

SNR for the lower-eye openings at varying received optical
power. For the error-free reception of data at a received optical
power of 7 dBm, we found the SNR to be 12.54 dB. This
method provides an estimated SNR of the lower-eye based on
the assumption that the noise distribution is Gaussian white.
Therefore, the estimated BER from Eq. (2) might not be very
accurate. Hence, to further investigate the BER, we used a high
speed real-time oscilloscope where transmitted and received
data sequences were captured and later compared through offline error counting to calculate the total BER. Fig. 5 shows the
BER curves and eye-diagrams for the downlink experiments.
At a BER of 109 , receiver sensitivity after 25.1 km SMF was
found to be 8.2 dBm. A negligible power penalty of 0.25 dB
with respect to BTB was found in this case.
Similarly for uplink, BER curves and eye-diagrams are
shown in Fig. 6. After the SMF transmissions, a receiver
sensitivity of 9.3 dBm was found at a BER of 109 . The
power penalty in this case was 0.3 dB compared to BTB
conditions.
In both the downlink and uplink BER plots, BER results
deviate slightly from the expected theoretical linear dependence. This could be due to the additional noise from EDFA

ISLAM et al.: MULTILEVEL MODULATIONS FOR GIGABIT ACCESS IN A SIMPLE mm-WAVE ROF LINK

-4

R EFERENCES
BTB
After fiber

-6

(a) Data Eye BTB

Lower eye

10

log (BER)

-5

-7
(b) Data Eye after fi ber

-8

0.3 dB

-9

power penalty

-10

1863

-12

-10

-8

-6

-4

Received Optical Power (dBm)

Fig. 6. BER curves. (a) and (b) Eye diagrams for the uplink using 4-ASK
RZ data.

and/or mm-wave RF components which eventually limit the

BER floor.
IV. C ONCLUSION
A full-duplex mm-wave RoF link using multi-level ASK
modulation is proposed and demonstrated. The demonstrated
technique exploits a simpler mm-wave RoF solution employing a combination of unlocked optical heterodyning and RF
self-homodyning, as proposed in [10]. Introduction of multilevel amplitude modulation in such phase-insensitive-detection
based systems can successfully realize the benefits of higherorder modulations, such as spectral efficiency and gigabit
access; in addition to providing simplifications in generation,
transport and data recovery processes. Moreover, realization of
spectral efficiency using M-ASK could be a preferable choice,
as it avoids the complexities and processing associated with
complex modulation schemes such as quadrature amplitude
modulation or differential phase-shift-keying.

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