60 GHz Wireless Link Implementing an Electronic Mixer Driven by a Photonically Integrated Uni-Traveling Carrier Photodiode at the Receiver

Abstract

We report the first 60 GHz wireless link implementing a uni-traveling carrier photodiode (UTC-PD) at the transmitter and a photonic integrated chip incorporating a UTC-PD at the receiver. In this demonstration, a 64.5 GHz signal carrying 1 Gbps on-off keying (OOK) data was generated by heterodyning two optical tones into the transmitter UTC-PD. The signal was transmitted using a 24 dBi gain parabolic antenna over a wireless distance of three metres before reaching an identical receiver antenna. At the receiver, an electronic mixer was used to down-convert the received signal into an intermediate frequency of 12.5 GHz. The local oscillator to the electronic mixer was provided by heterodyne mixing of two optical tones generated using a UTC-PD that is monolithically integrated with semiconductor lasers. The down-converted signal was acquired by a real-time oscilloscope for offline processing, which showed zero error bits in a 10 5 bit-long transmission.

A Reconfigurable Local Oscillator Harmonic Mixer with Simultaneous Phase Shifting and Image Rejection

“…Furthermore, the proposed scheme utilized MZM and PDs to achieve electro-optical and optical-electrical conversion, completing the processing of RF signals in the optical domain. Compared to microwave mixers in the electrical domain [22][23][24], the proposed scheme utilized electromagnetic interference-resistant optical devices to enhance the resilience of the system against the harsh space radiation environment, minimizing the risk of component failures. Meanwhile, the frequency conversion system implemented image rejection capabilities to eliminate the impact of IM on the mixing process, thereby enhancing the system's anti-interference ability to respond to varying interference sources in the space spectrum.…”

Integrated Photonics for Wireless and Satellite Applications

“…The frequency of the IF signal is defined by the wavelength spacing between two DFB lasers, and is tuneable from 5 GHz to 120 GHz. The alternative approach to down-conversion was to use an external RF mixer (with lower conversion loss), which was driven with an electrical LO signal generated by a UTC-PD integrated with two DFB lasers [7]. Fig.…”