Analysis of an Analog Fiber-Optic Link Employing a Low-Biased Mach–Zehnder Modulator Followed by an Erbium-Doped Fiber Amplifier

In this paper, a complete analysis of an analog fiber-optic link employing a low-biased Mach-Zehnder modulator followed by optical amplification with an erbium-doped fiber amplifier is presented. The expressions for RF gain, RF noise figure, second- and third-order intercept points, and spurious-free dynamic range are derived. Experimental data are employed to support the analytical results, and the optimal bias points for the metrics are demonstrated.