Integrated InP Heterodyne Millimeter Wave Transmitter

Abstract

A monolithically integrated tunable heterodyne source designed for the generation and modulation of subterahertz signals is demonstrated. Distributed feedback lasers, semiconductor optical amplifier amplifiers, passive waveguides, beam combiners, electro-optic modulators, and high-speed photodetectors have been monolithically integrated on the same InP-based platform. Millimeter wave generation at up to 105 GHz based on heterodyning the optical tones from two integrated lasers in the integrated high bandwidth unitraveling-carrier photodetector has been demonstrated. This photonic integrated chip was used in a 100-Mb/s OOK wireless transmission experiment using the integrated amplitude modulator.

Advances in terahertz communications accelerated by photonics

“…These have led to important progresses for the field of THz communications with highlights such as the development of a single chip transmitter (Fig. 4a) emitting 100 µW at 100 GHz from a total electrical consumption of 1W including cooling 74,75 . That chip was also used successfully in transmission systems 76 .…”

Uni-travelling carrier photodetectors as THz detectors and emitters

“…The TW-UTC-PD is a strong candidate for such integration. In recent years UTC structures have been monolithically integrated with laser structures opening the route to create a millimetre-wave/THz monolithically integrated emitter [20,21]. The work in [21] is shown in figure 9 where two TW-UTC-PDs were integrated with a dual DFB sources that could be tuned between 60 and 120 GHz 110 115 120 offering a compact photonic sources.…”

“…In recent years UTC structures have been monolithically integrated with laser structures opening the route to create a millimetre-wave/THz monolithically integrated emitter [20,21]. The work in [21] is shown in figure 9 where two TW-UTC-PDs were integrated with a dual DFB sources that could be tuned between 60 and 120 GHz 110 115 120 offering a compact photonic sources. Once characterized that source showed optimal output power of the order of 100 µW at 100 GHz and relatively flat frequency response in the range of operation ( figure 10).…”

Bridging the gap between THz and microwave photonics through optoelectronic generation of interleaved combs Invited paper

“…The generation of high-spectral-purity continuous and tunable mm-wave or THz signal can be achieved by photomixing two optical frequencies that are provided by solidstate dual-frequency lasers (DFL) [12] [13] [14][15] [16]. Such lasers are attractive in terms of spectral purity because of their inherent low phase noise and common noise rejection.…”