A scheme for generating asymmetric single sideband photonic vector signal at millimeter wave spectral region is described. At a transmitter, information bits to be transmitted are modulated using a vector modulation technique to generate a baseband signal. The baseband signal is converted into its single sideband (SSB) version using a complex frequency source having a first frequency. The real part of the upconverted signal is added to the real part of a second frequency source and is input as I component to an I/Q modulator. The imaginary part of the upconverted signal is added to the imaginary part of the second frequency source and is used as the Q component. The I/Q modulator is driven by a laser source at frequency fc. The resulting signal is transmitter over an optical transmission medium and upconverted by a single-ended photodiode to a desired radio-frequency (RF) carrier frequency.