An antenna system including at least one fiber antenna element having a semiconductor core and an outer cladding layer, where the core has a higher index of refraction than the cladding layer. A pump source provides pump light to the cladding layer in a manner that allows the pump light to propagate down the cladding layer to be absorbed by the core to generate photo-carriers in the core. An antenna circuit is electrically coupled to the core and provides one or both of an RF signal to the core for transmission purposes or receiving an RF signal from the core for reception purposes.