Analog radio frequency (RF) over fiber link systems have shown promise in aviation applications for RF Radar signal distribution within aircraft. These RF-photonic links usually requires relatively high optical power (0.1 to 1W) for the laser carrier in order to increase the spur-free-dynamic-range (SFDR) and reduce the noise figure of the link system. However, these high power levels lead to nonlinear scattering in optical fiber that induces additional noise on the optical signal traveling through the fiber. This additional optical noise is converted into RF noise after photodetection. In this work, we present experimental data demonstrating optical-scattering-induced noise in high-power RF-photonic links.
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