Hybrid RoF-RoFSO system for broadband services by incorporating polarization division multiplexing scheme

Abstract The limited bandwidth of traditional wireless carriers presents a challenge for delivering high-speed broadband services. To address this, radio-over-free space optics (Ro-FSO) emerges as a viable solution, seamlessly integrating wireless and optical systems. This integration is particularly valuable in sensitive environments such as hospitals, where electromagnetic interference can disrupt medical equipment. Ro-FSO provides interference-free high-speed data transmission, making it an ideal choice for broadband services, including WLANs. This study presents a high-speed Ro-FSO link capable of simultaneously transmitting two independent channels, each carrying 1 Gbps data up-converted to the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz RF bands over a 5 km SMF and 4200 m FSO channel. The incorporation of polarization division multiplexing enhances the spectral efficiency of the Ro-FSO link. Our findings demonstrate the successful transmission of both channels meeting the required bit error rate (BER) and eye pattern criteria.