Millimeter-Wave Photonic Components for Broadband Wireless Systems

We report on advanced millimeter-wave (mm-wave) photonic components for broadband radio transmission. We have developed self-pulsating 60-GHz range quantum-dash Fabry-Perot mode-locked laser diodes (MLLD) for passive, i.e., unlocked, photonic mm-wave generation with comparably low-phase noise level of -76 dBc/Hz @ 100-kHz offset from a 58.8-GHz carrier. We further report on high-frequency 1.55-μm waveguide photodiodes (PD) with partially p-doped absorber for broadband operation (f_3dB ~70-110 GHz) and peak output power levels up to +4.5 dBm @ 110 GHz as well as wideband antenna integrated photomixers for operation within 30-300 GHz and peak output power levels of -11 dBm @ 100 GHz and 6-mA photocurrent. We further present compact 60-GHz wireless transmitter and receiver modules for wireless transmission of uncompressed 1080p (2.97 Gb/s) HDTV signals utilizing the developed MLLD and mm-wave PD. Error-free (BER = 10^-9, 2³¹ - 1 PRBS, NRZ) outdoor wireless transmission of 3 Gb/s over 25 m is demonstrated, as well as wireless transmission of uncompressed HDTV signals in the 60-GHz band. Finally, an advanced 60-GHz photonic wireless system offering record data throughputs and spectral efficiencies is presented. For the first time, we demonstrate photonic wireless transmission of data throughputs up to 27.04 Gb/s (EVM 17.6%) using a 16-QAM OFDM modulation format resulting in a spectral efficiency as high as 3.86 b/s/Hz. Wireless experiments were carried out within the regulated 57-64-GHz band in a lab environment with a maximum transmit power of - 1 dBm and 23 dBi gain antennas for a wireless span of 2.5 m. This span can be extended to some 100 m when using high-gain antennas and higher transmit power levels.