Local oscillators-free chip-enabled W-band wireless IM-DD PAM-4 data transmission with simultaneous dual-laser...

Area of Science:

• Photonics
• Wireless Communications
• Integrated Optics

Background:

• Exponential growth in wireless data traffic necessitates high data rate links.
• W-band (75-110 GHz) frequencies are crucial for future high-speed wireless communication.
• Pulse-amplitude modulation with four levels (PAM-4) intensity modulation and direct detection (IM-DD) offers a simplified configuration for photonic-wireless systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To experimentally demonstrate an integrated W-band IM-DD PAM-4 photonic-wireless link.
• To leverage a monolithic dual-laser photonic chip for enhanced integration and signal quality.
• To showcase a cost-effective, lightweight, and simplified system for high-speed wireless data transmission.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a monolithic dual-laser photonic chip with optical comb injection locking for W-band signal generation via photo-mixing.
• Employed on-chip integration of dual lasers for single-modulator PAM-4 signal modulation on two coherent optical carriers.
• Incorporated an envelope detector (ED) for system simplification, eliminating the need for optical and electrical local oscillators.

Main Results:

• Successfully transmitted 5 and 10 Gbaud PAM-4 W-band wireless signals.
• Achieved a line data rate of up to 20 Gbit/s.
• Demonstrated a cost-effective, lightweight, and straightforward configuration with improved signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).

Conclusions:

• The experimental setup validates the practical potential of fully integrated photonic-wireless transmitters.
• The use of a chip-based phase-locked light source and ED significantly reduces system size, weight, power, and complexity.
• This approach offers a viable solution for meeting future high data rate demands in wireless communication.