Wavelength Data Rewriter for Centralized-Source Radio-Over-Fiber Access Networks

We present the architecture of a wavelength data rewriter that enables the centralization of optical sources in converged wired/wireless radio-over-fiber (RoF) access networks. In our proposal, wavelength reuse of downlink channels is enabled for uplink purposes. The system is based on a data extinction technique by gain saturation in a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA). A Fabry-Pérot filter allows envisioning heterogeneous infrastructures for converged wired and wireless signals transport while it relaxes the requirements on the SOA by allowing the use of low bandwidth devices whose cut-off frequency is lower than the subcarrier. In addition, the extinction ratio requirements of the downstream signal are relaxed as well, in order to avoid high power penalties on the upstream signal. The architecture is experimentally tested in an RoF access network with dynamic channel allocation capabilities.