High-Capacity Dynamic Indoor Network Employing Optical-Wireless and 60-GHz Radio Techniques

Abstract

We demonstrate a hybrid radio-optical wireless communication system using a photonic integrated all-opticalcross-connect (OXC) chip to realize a highly reconfigurable and reliable bidirectional indoor wireless network which provides the ultimate capacity per user. By remote wavelength-tuning, narrow optical beams are directed to the users employing a passive 2D beam steering module fixed at the ceiling in each room. Robustness regarding line-of-sight issues is achieved by implementing 60-GHz radio protection channels generated optically using a shared amplitude modulator via the OXC chip. The use of a 35 GHz reflective electroabsorption modulator (REAM) monolithically integrated with a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) chip is proposed for upstream wideband analog applications. The REAM-SOA provides similar performances as a REAM, but over a wide range of input optical powers and wavelengths. This mitigates the need for accurate control of the input signal, especially at remote sites where simplicity is strictly required. System experiments showed downstream optical-wireless transmission capacities of up to 35 Gb/s per user and 60-GHz protection channels with a capacity of 20 Gb/s. Upstream RoF transmission rates of more than 35 Gb/s have also been achieved.

High-Capacity Dynamic Indoor All-Optical-Wireless Communication System Backed up With Millimeter-Wave Radio Techniques

“…In addition, the network only demonstrated the routing of signals sent from a central site. In [17,18], we implemented a multicast capable 4×4 SOA-based optical-cross-connect (OXC) chip to route optical-wireless and 60-GHz radio signals to the access points. Deploying photonicintegrated-chips (PICs) for indoor communications is highly beneficial due to their compactness and low power consumption.…”

High-Capacity Optical Wireless Communication Using Two-Dimensional IR Beam Steering

“…At this central communication controller (CCC), tunable transceivers together with a transparent optical crossconnect (OXC) module take care that the user data streams are each dynamically routed to the appropriate PRA in the appropriate room with the appropriate wavelength. The return path for each user is established by 60GHz radio-over-fiber techniques, and also serves to close the control loop for user localization and tracking [14]. We previously have proposed and explored an arrangement with two cross-aligned diffraction gratings, which provides 2D beam steering by wavelength tuning [7] [12].…”

Ultra-high Capacity Wireless Communication Enabled by Photonic Technologies

“…In the demonstrator, localization of the user device and upstream communication are done by means of 60GHz radio and mechanically steerable 30dBi horn antennas. A hybrid system with IR beam 35Gbit/s downstream and 60GHz beam 20Gbit/s upstream has been demonstrated [8]. Strong partnerships between RF wireless technologies and optical technologies are crucial in meeting the fast growing needs for wireless connectivity.…”