M Whitehead

High-speed integrated transceivers for optical wireless

Optical wireless LANs have the potential to provide bandwidths far in excess of those available with current or planned RF networks. There are several approaches to implementing optical wireless systems, but these usually involve the integration of optical, optoelectronic, and electrical components in order to create transceivers. Such systems are necessarily complex, and the widespread use of optical wireless is likely to be dependent on the ability to fabricate the required transceiver components at low cost. A number of UK universities are currently involved in a project to demonstrate integrated optical wireless subsystems that can provide line-of-sight in-building communications at 155 Mb/s and above. The system uses two-dimensional arrays of novel microcavity LED emitters and arrays of detectors integrated with custom CMOS integrated circuits to implement tracking transceiver components. In this article we set out the basic approaches that can be used for in-building optical wireless communication and argue the need for an integrated and scalable approach to the fabrication of transceivers. Our work aimed at implementing these components, including experimental results and potential future directions, is then discussed.

ANGULAR SPECTRUM OF VISIBLE RESONANT CAVITY LIGHT-EMITTING DIODES

We present spectrally resolved angular radiation patterns from visible resonant cavity light-emitting diodes. Recording the pattern for a fixed wavelength clearly demonstrates how the overall angular emission is strongly influenced by the relative spectral alignment of the cavity resonance and the underlying quantum well emission, i.e., the detuning. Combined with measurements of total optical power, taken over a range of solid angles, the results highlight the importance of accounting for the collection optics of a proposed application when an optimum design is considered.

High speed integrated optical wireless transceivers for in-building optical LANs

12 Maintaining high bandwidth indoor optical wireless channels under a wide range of operating conditions usually requires relatively complex transceiver components. Integrating optical, optoelectronic and optical components using techniques that are suitable for mass manufacture is an important step in the development of these systems. This paper describes work to develop low cost integrated tracking transmitter and receiver components for use in a cellular indoor optical wireless network. A seven channel demonstrator operating at 155 Mb/s is under construction, using arrays of Resonant Cavity LEDs, PIN detectors, Silicon CMOS driver circuits and associated optics. Development of components, design methodology and initial results are detailed.

Multiple-quantum-well asymmetric Fabry-Perot modulators for microwave photonic applications

We describe the development of InGaAsP multiquantum-well asymmetric Fabry-Perot modulators (AFPM) for RF-over-fiber applications. Advantages of the AFPM include low drive voltage and loss, high linearity and simple fiber alignment. Experimental results of initial devices, exhibiting 5.5-dB modulation depth and >3-GHz operation, are described. The effect of the optical power on the device performance was assessed, and the modulation bandwidth was found to be unaffected by incident optical powers up to 0 dBm. The linearity of the modulation characteristic was measured by carrying out two-tone intermodulation distortion tests, and a third-order intercept point of 30 dBm was observed.

Multiple quantum well asymmetric Fabry-Perot modulators for RF-over-fibre applications

We describe the development of InGaAsP multi-quantum well asymmetric Fabry-Perot modulators (AFPM) and present measurements of devices operating at 3 GHz. Advantages of the AFPM include low drive voltage and loss, high linearity and simple fibre alignment.

Angular Emission Profiles and Coherence Length Measurements of Highly Efficient, Low Voltage Resonant Cavity Light Emitting Diodes Operating Around 650nm

We present results on Resonant Cavity Light Emitting Diodes (RCLEDs) emitting at 650 nm, which have high efficiencies and low voltages. In particular, we report on the angular properties of these devices, and highlight the observation that overall spectral linewidth increases with collection angle. This unusual property of RCLEDs is largely a consequence of employing a microcavity in the design. An additional contributing factor is the relative distribution of gain amongst the cavity modes (i.e. the level of tuning or detuning of the underlying emission, defined with respect to the longitudinal cavity mode). We have used measurement techniques which spectrally resolve angular radiation profiles to determine the (de)tuning directly. Moreover, these profiles demonstrate how the overall spectral linewidth increases with collection angle. To this end, we have developed a semi- empirical method for determining the overall linewidth as a function of emission numerical aperture (NA). A 4 nm detuned device has been investigated and linewidths have been found to increase from 3.1 nm to 13.6 nm over a range of NA approximately equals 0 to NA equals 1, an increase by a factor of around 4. Obviously, a variable linewidth also implies a variable coherence length with NA. Consequently, the coherence length was found to decrease from 30 micrometer to 9 micrometer over the same range. Independent coherence length measurements were carried out by direct interferometric measurements, and confirmed the expected trends.

High-speed integrated optical wireless system demonstrator

The widespread use of Optical LANs is dependent on the ability to fabricate low cost transceiver components. These are usually complex, and fabrication involves the integration of optoelectronic and electronic devices, as well as optical components. A number of UK universities are currently involved in a project to demonstrate integrated optical wireless transceiver subsystems that can provide eyesafe line of sight in-building communication at 155Mbit/s and above, using 1550nm eyesafe emitters. The system uses two-dimensional arrays of novel microcavity LED emitters, and arrays of detectors integrated with custom CMOS integrated circuits to implement tracking transceiver components. The project includes design and fabrication of the optoelectronic devices, transimpedance amplifiers and optical systems, as well as flip-chip bonding of the optoelectronic and CMOS integrated circuits to create components scaleable to the large numbers of sources and detectors required. In this paper we report initial results from the first seven channel demonstrator system. Performance of individual components, their limitations and future directions are detailed.

Design of InGaAsP multiple quantum-well Fabry-Perot modulators for soliton control

The use of synchronous optical modulators is effective in reducing the pulse timing jitter in long-distance soliton transmission. The inherently polarization-insensitive characteristics of the Fabry-Perot multiple quantum-well (MQW) electroabsorption modulator make it a potentially suitable device for this application. We investigate the intensity and phase modulation characteristics of symmetric and asymmetric Fabry-Perot modulators, and show that, by positioning the resonant wavelength <30 nm away from the exciton absorption peak to obtain negative chirp operation, both configurations can be used to successfully reduce timing jitter in a 20 Gb/s soliton system.