OFDM-PS-256QAM signal delivery at 47.45 Gb/s over 4.6-kilometers wireless distance at the W band

Photonics technology is a promising way to generate high-frequency millimeter waves, which is also a key technology to realize the convergence of fiber-optic and wireless communication. To meet the actual application requirements, kilometer-level wireless distance, large-capacity, and high-spectral-efficiency systems are urgent requirements. Based on the photonics-aided system at the W band, we achieve a net rate of 47.45-Gb/s signal delivery over a 10-km single-mode fiber-28 (SMF-28) and 4.6-km wireless free-space link. The spectral efficiency of the system is 4.97 bit/s/Hz. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration at more than a 4-km wireless distance level at the W band based on a photonics-aided system, and we achieve a record product of the single-channel transmission rate and wireless distance, i.e., 47.45 Gb/s x 4.6 km = 218.27 Gb/s km. The experimental results provide a good reference value for improving the transmission distance and data rate of the radio-over-fiber (ROF) system, and will play an important role in the future beyond the 5G era. (C) 2022 Optica Publishing Group

Automated summary

Photonics technology is a promising approach for generating high-frequency millimeter waves and enabling the convergence of fiber-optic and wireless communication. This study achieved a significant breakthrough by demonstrating a photonics-aided system in the W band, achieving a transmission rate of 47.45 Gb/s over a wireless distance of 4.6 km, with a spectral efficiency of 4.97 bit/s/Hz. These results provide valuable insights for improving the transmission distance and data rate of radio-over-fiber systems, and have implications for the future beyond the 5G era.