Method and apparatus for generating and transmitting WDM MWOF signals

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a plurality of millimeter-wave-over-fiber (MWOF) optical signals;

filtering the MWOF signals to extract therefrom an optical signal representing a desired channel;

converting the extracted optical signal to an electrical signal;

filtering the converted signal to obtain a filtered signal having a millimeter-wave carrier frequency; and

doubling the carrier frequency of the filtered signal to obtain an electrical signal in the W-band, the W-band electrical signal being adapted for wireless transmission.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the MWOF optical signals carry data via on-off-keying (OOK).

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the MWOF optical signals multiplex data with speed up to approximately 2.5 Gb/s.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the MWOF optical signals have a periodic intensity modulation at a frequency of approximately 38 GHz.

5. A wireless communications station, comprising:

an optical filter, for filtering a plurality of millimeter-wave-over-fiber (MWOF) optical signals to extract therefrom an optical signal representing a desired channel;

an optical-to-electrical (O/E) converter, for converting the extracted optical signal to an electrical signal;

a band-pass filter (BPF), for filtering the O/E converted signal to obtain a pass-band signal having a millimeter-wave carrier frequency;

a frequency doubling circuit, for doubling the carrier frequency of the pass-band signal to obtain an electrical signal in the W-band; and

a radio frequency (RF) antenna, for wirelessly transmitting the W-band signal.

6. The station of claim 5 , wherein the optical filter comprises a 3-port optical filter.

7. The station of claim 5 , wherein the optical filter comprises a 4-port optical filter.

8. The station of claim 5 , wherein the optical filter comprises a tunable optical filter.

9. The station of claim 5 , wherein the optical filter comprises an arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) filter.

10. The station of claim 5 , wherein the O/E converter has a bandwidth of approximately 40 GHz.

11. The station of claim 5 , wherein the BPF has a bandwidth of approximately 5 GHz at a center frequency of approximately 38 GHz.

12. The station of claim 5 , wherein the W-band electrical signal has a carrier frequency of approximately 76 GHz.

13. The station of claim 5 , wherein the transmitted wireless signal has a carrier frequency of approximately 76 GHz.

14. The station of claim 5 , wherein the O/E converted electrical signal is further amplified by a transimpedance amplifier (TIA).

15. The station of claim 5 , wherein the station is coupled to a ring network.

16. The station of claim 5 , wherein the station receives the MWOF signals from a central station comprising an electro-optical modulator for generating the MWOF signals by modulating a plurality of optical signals.

17. A wireless transmitter, comprising:

means for optically filtering a plurality of millimeter-wave-over-fiber (MWOF) optical signals to extract therefrom an optical signal representing a desired channel;

means for converting the extracted optical signal to an electrical signal;

means for electrically filtering the converted electrical signal to obtain a pass-band signal whose carrier frequency is that of the millimeter-wave;

means for doubling the carrier frequency of the pass-band signal to obtain an electrical signal in the W-band; and

means for wirelessly transmitting the W-band signal to subscribers.

18. The transmitter of claim 17 , wherein the MWOF signal is generated by modulating a plurality of optical signals through an electro-optical modulator.

19. The transmitter of claim 18 , wherein the electro-optical modulator comprises a LiNbO3-based modulator.

20. The transmitter of claim 18 , wherein the electro-optical modulator comprises an input-polarization independent modulator.