Self-referenced distribution of millimeter waves over 10 km optical fiber with high frequency stability

In this Letter, an actively stabilized photonic system for millimeter-wave (mmW) signal distribution is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. By interlocking two baseband RF signals obtained from a dual-heterodyne detection through a single carrier compensation module, the phase fluctuations induced by the fiber transmission link is suppressed without the need of a local frequency reference. In the proof-of-concept experiment, a 108 GHz mmW is transmitted over a 10 km fiber link with a performance matching that of the back-to-back case. The feedback system reduces the phase noise of the delivered mmW signal by 37 dB and 28 dB at 0.1 Hz and 1 Hz frequency offset, respectively, and the long-term stability is improved by nearly two orders of magnitude.