Performance Analysis of SPAD-based OFDM

TL;DR

This paper presents an analytical performance analysis of SPAD-based OFDM systems, focusing on nonlinear distortion effects from different SPAD quenching methods, and derives the maximum achievable bit rate of up to 1 Gbps.

Contribution

It provides the first closed-form analytical model for nonlinear distortion in SPAD-based OFDM, comparing passive and active quenching effects and determining the maximum system bit rate.

Findings

Maximum bit rate of 1 Gbps for SPAD-based OFDM.

Distortion effects limit transmission power and bit rate.

Analytical model aids in optimal system design.

Abstract

In this paper, an analytical approach for the nonlinear distorted bit error rate performance of optical orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (O-OFDM) with single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) receivers is presented. Major distortion effects of passive quenching (PQ) and active quenching (AQ) SPAD receivers are analysed in this study. The performance analysis of DC-biased O-OFDM and asymmetrically clipped O-OFDM with PQ and AQ SPAD are derived. The comparison results show the maximum optical irradiance caused by the nonlinear distortion, which limits the transmission power and bit rate. The theoretical maximum bit rate of SPAD-based OFDM is found which is up to 1~Gbits/s. This approach supplies a closed-form analytical solution for designing an optimal SPAD-based system.