Hybrid Wavelength-Mode Division Multiplexing-Enabled Terrestrial Radio-Over-Free Space Optics Transmission: Impact Of Weather Attenuation

Abstract

Radio-over-free space optics (RoFSO) transmission scheme has numerous merits, as a result of which it has gained significant importance for future 5th generation (5G) mobile communications links. This work proposes a hybrid wavelength-mode division multiplexing (WMDM)-enabled RoFSO transmission scheme capable of transmitting high-speed data signals over free space channel. 4-data signals at 10 Gbit/s transporting 10 GHz radio frequency signals are multiplexed to realize 40 Gbit/s-40 GHz free space transmission. The proposed scheme is evaluated for varying weather attenuation scenarios and transmission from 680 m - 5 km is faithfully achieved with good bit error rate, quality factor, and received eye diagrams of the information signals.