CC BY 4.0Burla, MaurizioMaurizioBurlaHoessbacher, ClaudiaClaudiaHoessbacherHeni, WolfgangWolfgangHeniHaffner, ChristianChristianHaffnerFedoryshyn, YuriyYuriyFedoryshynWerner, DominikDominikWernerWatanabe, TatsuhikoTatsuhikoWatanabeMassler, HermannHermannMasslerElder, DelwinDelwinElderDalton, LarryLarryDaltonLeuthold, JuergJuergLeuthold2022-03-0513.8.20192019https://publica.fraunhofer.de/handle/publica/25847810.1063/1.5086868Broadband electro-optic intensity modulators are essential to convert electrical signals to the optical domain. The growing interest in terahertz wireless applications demands modulators with frequency responses to the sub-terahertz range, high power handling, and very low nonlinear distortions, simultaneously. However, a modulator with all those characteristics has not been demonstrated to date. Here, we experimentally demonstrate that plasmonic modulators do not trade-off any performance parameter, featuring-at the same time-a short length of tens of micrometers, record-high flat frequency response beyond 500 GHz, high power handling, and high linearity, and we use them to create a sub-terahertz radio-over-fiber analog optical link. These devices have the potential to become a new tool in the general field of microwave photonics, making the sub-terahertz range accessible to, e.g., 5G wireless communications, antenna remoting, Internet of Things, sensing, and more.en667journal article