Jeffrey A. Nanzer

Experimental Demonstration of Photonic Millimeter-Wave System for High Capacity Point-to-Point Wireless Communications

We present experimental results of 10 Gb/s wireless communications over a distance of 520 meters in the W-band. The transmitter makes use of photonic upconversion with a high bandwidth photodiode to allow for minimum hardware at the antenna. We present results with two receiver configurations. The first uses all electronic methods with a balanced Schottky diode mixer for downconversion, and the second uses photonics to limit the hardware at the receive antenna by photonically generating the local oscillator drive signal and transporting the intermediate frequency signal over a microwave photonic link.

Radio-Over-Fiber Technologies for Emerging Wireless Systems

Radio-over-fiber transmission has extensively been studied as a means to realizing a fiber optic wireless distribution network that enables seamless integration of the optical and wireless network infrastructures. Emerging wireless communication networks that support new broadband services provide increased opportunities for photonics technologies to play a prominent role in the realization of the next generation integrated optical/wireless networks. In this paper, we present a review of recent developments in radio-over-fiber technologies that can support the distribution of broadband wireless signals in a converged optical/wireless network. We also describe some of the challenges for the successful application of radio-over-fiber technologies in future wireless systems, such as 5G and 60-GHz networks.

Millimeter-Wave Wireless Communication Using Dual-Wavelength Photonic Signal Generation and Photonic Upconversion

This paper presents the design and experimental analysis of a system architecture for 60-GHz broadband wireless communications. The architecture uses a dual-wavelength photonic signal source based on stimulated Brillouin scattering to generate the millimeter-wave carrier signal through photomixing. Data is encoded onto the optical signals and is upconverted directly to the millimeter-wave carrier through a photonic upconversion process, which does not require electronic upconversion. The data is encoded onto one optical wavelength in a single-sideband fashion, which affords significant dispersion tolerance over long remoting distances compared with standard double-sideband modulation. The prototype architecture was tested at ranges of 2-30 m indoors and 78 m outdoors, demonstrating a building-to-building link. Binary phase-shift keying (BPSK) and quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK) modulation formats were tested, with BPSK data rates up to 3 Gb/s and QPSK data rates up to 2.64 Gb/s. Good bit-error ratios are demonstrated as a function of received power and range for a fixed transmit power.

Photonic Beamsteering of a Millimeter-Wave Array With 10-Gb/s Data Transmission

We present experimental results of 10-Gb/s W-band wireless transmission using a four element linear array. The 10-Gb/s transmission is shown when photonically steered to 0° and ± 35° from antenna boresight. In this letter, photonic techniques are used for signal generation, distribution, and time delay. Photonic true-time delay is shown to allow for steering of broadband millimeter-wave signals with no noticeable beam squint across frequency. High power, high frequency photodiodes are used for optical-to-electrical conversion to directly radiate from the array without power amplifiers.

Millimeter-Wave Interferometric Angular Velocity Detection

A new method of detecting the angular velocity of moving objects using correlation interferometry is presented. As an object passes through the interferometer beam pattern, the frequency of the signal response is directly proportional to the angular velocity of the object. Only a simple frequency analysis is required to measure the velocity, whereas typical techniques require angle estimation and multiple looks to calculate the rate of angular change over time. The general response of the interferometer is derived, as well as the fringe frequency. The method is verified by detecting the angular velocity of a walking human with a millimeter-wave correlation interferometer, and experimental results of a walking human are presented.

Microwave and millimeter-wave ranging for coherent distributed RF systems

Microwave and millimeter-wave ranging systems, waveforms, and experimental results are described for coherent distributed RF systems applications. Measured results show that coherent distributed systems operating at carrier frequencies with coherence at λ/10 are possible well into the millimeter-wave regime by using widely separated two-tone ranging waveforms. The two-tone waveform in the context of continuous-wave ranging is introduced. A method for overcoming the range-ambiguous output of the matched filter processing is described. Microwave and millimeter-wave ranging measurements are shown and compared to the Cramer-Rao lower bound for range accuracy.

Photonic downconverting receiver using optical phase modulation

We experimentally demonstrate a Ka-band downconverting receiver using optical phase modulation and an optical heterodyne process that allows for minimal hardware at the receive antenna. 10 Gb/s wireless data transmission using 16-QAM is demonstrated with photonic upconversion at the transmitter and photonic downconversion at the receiver.

Millimeter-Wave Photonics for Communications and Phased Arrays

Abstract This article presents recent developments in millimeter-wave communications architectures featuring broadband photonic signal generation, up-conversion and down-conversion, as well as true-time-delay photonic steering of millimeter-wave arrays. These developments will support future high-capacity millimeter-wave wireless communications by enabling broadband signals to be generated and converted between baseband and millimeter-wave carrier frequencies without electronic heterodyne systems and by permitting the use of true-time-delay beamsteering in millimeter-wave array apertures.

Dual Interferometric-Doppler Measurements of the Radial and Angular Velocity of Humans

The first measurements of moving humans using a dual-mode millimeter-wave radar sensor are presented. The radar sensor is comprised of a Doppler detection mode for measuring the radial velocity of a moving object, as well as a recently developed interferometric mode for directly measuring the angular velocity. Combining the two detection modes, it is shown that the motion of a walking human can be detected and measured regardless of the direction of trajectory relative to the radar sensor. Such a capability has the potential to significantly improve the effectiveness of security radars, and may apply to a broad range of other motion detection radar applications. The frequency shifts imparted on the signal in both Doppler and interferometric detection modes are measured in the time-frequency domain, and show that as the trajectory moves from a completely radial motion to a completely angular motion, the Doppler frequency shift decreases while the interferometric frequency shift increases. The two detection modes therefore represent complementary measurements, improving the ability to measure the motion of randomly moving objects.

Photonic upconversion of 60 GHz IEEE 802.15.3c standard compliant data signals using a dual-wavelength laser

Free -space transport of 60 GHz band RF signals is demonstrated. The RF carrier is generated from the beat frequency in a dual -wavelength fiber laser. Optical phase modulation data is photonically converted to RF phase modulation data for transport.