Enhanced Spurious-Free Dynamic Range Using Mixed Polarization in Optical Single Sideband Mach–Zehnder Modulator

We analyze in theory, simulation, and experiment the spurious-free dynamic range (SFDR) for a radio-over-fiber system using an optical single sideband (OSSB) Mach-Zehnder modulator (MZM) that is linearized using mixed polarization. The mixed polarization OSSB MZM makes use of a dual-electrode z-cut LiNbO3MZM, where a linear polarizer is placed in front and in behind the optical modulator, respectively. It is found that intermodulation distortion can be suppressed significantly regardless of modulation index. Thus intermodulation induced power fading and crosstalk via fiber chromatic dispersion for a given RF carrier is reduced compared to using the conventional OSSB MZM. Improvements of ~ 13 dB in SDFR is predicted in theory, simulation, and demonstrated experimentally.