All-Optical Envelope Detection and Fiber Transmission of Wireless Signals by External Injection of a DFB Laser

We outline a novel method for all-optical envelope detection of wireless signals by exploiting cross-gain modulation effects in a distributed feedback laser operating with optical injection. We successfully demonstrate envelope detection of a 20-GHz carrier amplitude-shift-keying modulated signal at 2.5 Gb/s and its transmission over a 70-km optical fiber link. We present results including bit-error-rate measurements, signal waveforms, and receiver sensitivity penalties associated with envelope detection and fiber transmission.