Photonic frequency conversion for the analog radio-over-fiber fronthaul

The escalating demand for wireless broadband connectivity is pushing the convergence of photonic and radio technologies towards an efficient management of the network resources. Flexible analog radio-over-fiber (A-RoF) fronthauling holds promise to boost centralized radio access network (C-RAN) solutions affording collaborative networking gains. Further advancements are essential to fully leverage the wide bandwidth and reconfigurability opportunities presented by the pervasive integration of photonics into the radio segment. In this study, we explore the potential of photonic frequency conversion strategies that exploit the properties of optical Mach-Zehnder modulators (MZM) as a photonic alternative to electrical mixing stages for the A-RoF mobile fronthaul.