Receiver for a coherent fiber-optic link with high dynamic range and low noise figure

Phase modulated coherent fiberoptic links can potentially provide exceptionally high spurious free dynamic range (SFDR) and low noise figure (NF). Critical issue is the development of a strictly linear phase demodulator. In this paper we describe a phase demodulator employing a phase locked loop discriminator. Implementing the PPLL on a single substrate using the state-of-the-art components could yield an SFDR better than 145 dB/Hz2/3 and NF lower than 3dB.