Abstract

This paper is concerned with the effect of the nonlinearity of an MZM (Mach-Zehnder modulator) on optical OFDM signal distortion. The optical OFDM signal output from the MZM is expressed as a Taylor series including third-order and fifth-order nonlinear distortion terms, by which we can easily establish a mathematical model of the optical OFDM signals in different formats and rates. According to the model, we can get the EVM at the optimized point. Moreover, the proposed theoretical model is proved in good agreement with experiment results of the RoF (Radio over Fiber) system.

© 2011 Optical Society of America