Phase-aligned transmission of broadband microwave signals for multiple optical fiber links

In this paper, we propose a fiber link delay mismatch detection method for the fiber-optic phase-aligned transmission system of broadband microwave signals. Different from the conventional pulse time-of-flight method to solve the problem of periodic ambiguity for a sine signal, an adjustable frequency signal is adopted as the reference in the process of phase discrimination. The main frequency is employed to extract the fiber delay difference and its fluctuation within the corresponding period. Meanwhile, the auxiliary frequency is introduced to deal with the periodic ambiguity for the delays beyond one period. A proof of principle system with an equivalent 5 km outdoor transmission length is implemented to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method. Broadband microwave signals received at eight antenna ends are transmitted to the central station through wavelength division multiplexing. At the central station, each link delay is obtained in turn from the incorporated reference frequency signal. Then, the phases of each broadband microwave signals are set in line by the corresponding adjustable optical delay lines. According to the experimental demonstration, the phase consistency is better than 8.68° for a 10 GHz transmitted frequency.