RF fiber-optic link performance

Abstract

Applications that involve point-to-point routing of analog signals have benefited from the excellent propagation characteristics of optical fiber. Fiber-optic links that remote RF signals to and from phased-array radar antennas must meet especially stringent performance requirements. The past decade has seen significant progress in the performance of the fiber-optic links that distribute RF signals in antenna-remoting applications, as well as in cellular communications and cable television signal distribution networks. This article reviews the present state of the art in RF fiber-optic links.