Optical linearization for intensity-modulated analog links employing equivalent incoherent combination technique

A novel optical linearization approach for intensity modulated analog links based on equivalent incoherent combination technique has been experimentally demonstrated. The highlight of this scheme is the destructive combination for the distortion signals in electrical domain, which can be easily achieved through a commercial balanced photodetector pair. A reduction of 25dB in third-order intermodulation distortion has been achieved. Besides, compared with conventional single modulator case with the same gain, 16dB enhancement in SFDR can be estimated.