Transparent multichannel wireless bridge for optical fiber links based on a two-stage upconversion

Abstract A bridge architecture enabling seamless wireless interconnection within an optical fiber link is studied. Optical baseband data is remodulated by local oscillators using two stages to allow efficient and cost-effective upconversion. Proof-of-concept experiments show the feasibility of the approach. Direct operation with standard optical signals and ease of integration in the conventional optical fiber infrastructure define the transparency property of this subsystem, which represents a potential solution to restore data traffic in scenarios where fiber deployment is uneconomical or a disaster has taken place.