Microwave photonics transistor design equations

We present an end-to-end model of a microwave photonics transistor (MWPT). The device is divided into two stages: The microwave photonic (MWP) and the pure radiofrequency (RF) parts. Expressions are derived for the linear and nonlinear current terms in the transition point between them and at the system output to obtain the final expressions for the overall figures of merit (FOMs) as a function of those of the MWP and RF parts. We develop several application examples for specific MWP system configurations previously reported in the literature with a view of comparing the impact that both the MWP and the RF parts have on the overall performance metrics of the MWPT.