High-performance optical analog link using external modulator

An experimental fiber-optic analog link with a noise figure of only 6-dB, a 104-dB intermodulation-free dynamic range (measured using a 10-Hz noise bandwidth), and an RF-to-RF gain of 11 dB at 50 MHz is discussed. The link includes no electronic amplification. It uses a very sensitive bandpass impedance-matched Ti:LiNbO/sub 3/ interferometric modulator and an input optical power of 55 mW at 1.32 mu m.>