Outdoor $W$ -Band Hybrid Photonic Wireless Link Based on an Optical SFP+ Module

This letter proposes a W-band hybrid photonic wireless link based on a commercial small form-factor pluggable (SFP+) module and experimentally demonstrates its performance. Using a free running laser as local oscillator and heterodyne photonic upconversion, good frequency stability is achieved. Outdoor wireless transmission over 225 m with a bit error rate below 10^-6 is demonstrated, and the maximum reach of the system with typical RF components is calculated, finding wireless distances above 2 km to be feasible. Being based on a commercial SFP+, the proposed hybrid photonic wireless link offers seamless integration with existing distribution networks and passive optical networks, and thus paves the way for future mobile frontand backhaul architectures.