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Photonic fully-connected hybrid beamforming using microring weight banks
Mitchell Nichols1, Hugh Morison2, Armaghan Eshaghi3
1University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada. m.reed.nichols@gmail.com.
Communications Engineering
|November 25, 2025
Summary
Researchers developed a novel optical beamforming system using photonic vector modulators for fifth generation (5G) wireless networks. This technology offers a pathway to energy-efficient, large-scale hybrid beamformers for future wireless communication systems.
Area of Science:
- Electrical Engineering
- Optical Engineering
- Wireless Communications
Background:
- Higher frequency bands offer large bandwidth for 5G and beyond (5GB) wireless networks.
- Challenges include high path loss and transceiver power consumption.
- Hybrid beamforming (digital + analog) addresses these challenges.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose and demonstrate a new optical beamforming system for hybrid beamformers.
- To leverage photonic vector modulators and tunable photonic filters.
- To improve size, weight, and power consumption compared to electronic solutions.
Main Methods:
- Implementation of an optical beamforming system using photonic vector modulators.
- Utilization of tunable photonic filters.
- Experimental calibration and testing of microring resonator (MRR)-based photonic vector modulators.
Main Results:
- Achieved a root-mean-square (RMS) phase error of better than 2°.
- Attained an amplitude error of 0.3 dB.
- Demonstrated the feasibility of MRR-based photonic vector modulators for beamforming.
Conclusions:
- The proposed optical beamforming approach offers a viable solution for hybrid beamformers.
- Compact and low-loss photonic resonators enable large-scale, fully-connected hybrid beamformers.
- This technology paves the way for more efficient future wireless networks.
