Radio-on-fiber unit and radio-on-fiber system

摘要

An object of the present invention is to provide a radio-on-fiber unit and a radio-on-fiber system which can transmit/receive signals at adequate rates especially, to/from a mobile device. A first aspect of the present invention relates to a radio-on-fiber unit (3) which includes an antenna array (1) and a light modulator array (2). The light modulator array (2) comprises antenna elements (5) and light modulators (7) that are connected with the respective antenna elements via electric circuits. The optical waveguide (13) is composed of linear optical waveguides (13) that are arranged along the light modulators (7) included in certain lines among the light modulators (7). The light modulator array (2) comprises reflection units (17) for connecting two adjacent linear optical waveguides with each other. Consequently, a signal light inputted to a light input unit (11) is outputted from a light output unit (15) via each linear optical waveguide (13).

主权项

1. A radio-on-fiber unit comprising an antenna array including a plurality of antenna elements arranged two-dimensionally and a light modulator array including a plurality of light modulators connected to the plurality of respective antenna elements via electric circuits, wherein
the light modulator array, comprising: a substrate provided in parallel with an antenna array layer where the plurality of antenna elements is provided; a light input unit to input a signal light into the substrate; an optical waveguide through which the signal light input from the light input unit propagates and which is provided in the substrate; a light output unit from which the signal light after propagating through the optical waveguide is output; and a plurality of light modulators provided in the optical waveguide, wherein the plurality of light modulators is arranged with the feeding points of the respective light modulators in corresponding positions of the plurality of antenna elements, wherein the optical waveguide comprises, among the plurality of light modulators, a plurality of linear optical waveguides along the light modulator contained in some line, and wherein the light modulator array, further comprises: a reflection unit to connect two adjacent linear waveguides, thereby the signal light input into the light input unit is output from the light output unit via each linear optical waveguide, wherein each linear optical waveguide includes a respective polarization/inversion region.