Abstract:
Radio-over-fiber (RoF)-based front haul architecture has attracted considerable attention for fifth-generation (5G) cellular systems because of its cost effectiveness, however, it is susceptible to harmonic frequency distortion and intermodulation products (IMs) arising from the nonlinearity of the laser diode. To overcome this limitation, an asymmetric electrical predistortion method, using a single Schottky diode with nonlinear characteristics similar to those of a laser diode, was previously proposed. However, its asymmetric structure causes a phase mismatch, which limits the system bandwidth. In this study, we propose an enhanced electrical predistortion technique using dual-parallel Schottky diode blocks. The proposed technique was validated by experiments involving an IM3 drop of approximately 27 dB, and by using identical dual Schottky diode blocks, the phase mismatch in the previously proposed method is completely eliminated. Thus, the applicable bandwidth is extended to 1.8 GHz. This technique can be used to improve the linearity and increase the bandwidth of RoF systems. Additionally, the simple structure is attractive for low-power applications.