2 x 2 multiple-input multiple-output optical-wireless integration system based on optical independent-sideband modulation enabled by an in-phase/quadrature modulator

We propose a novel and simple 2 x 2 multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) optical-wireless integration system, in which optical independent-sideband modulation enabled by an in-phase/quadrature (I/Q) modulator, instead of optical polarization multiplexing, is used to assist the simultaneous generation of two wireless millimeter-wave (mm-wave) signals. Software-based digital signal processing is used to generate the driving signal for the I/Q modulator, the output of which is two independent single-sideband optical vector signals located at two sides of a large central optical carrier. Based on our proposed 2 x 2 MIMO optical-wireless integration system, we experimentally demonstrate the simultaneous generation and 2 x 2 MIMO wireless delivery of two independent 40-GHz quadrature-phase-shift-keying (QPSK) wireless mm-wave signals. Each 40-GHz QPSK wireless mm-wave signal can carry up to 4-Gbaud transmitter data with a bit-error ratio less than the hard-decision forward-error-correction threshold of 3.8 × 10^-3.