Computer-Aided Design of Microwave-Photonics-Based RF Circuits and Systems

In the process of design, a developer of new microwave-photonics-based RF apparatuses is facing a problem of choosing appropriate software. As of today, the existing optical and optoelectronic CAD tools (OE-CAD) are not developed like CAD tools intended for modeling of RF circuits (E-CAD). On the contrary, operating at symbolic level, modern high-power microwave E-CAD tools simply and with high precision solve this problem, but there are no models of active photonic components in their libraries. To overcome this problem, we proposed and validated experimentally a new approach to model a broad class of promising analog microwave radio-electronics systems based on microwave photonics technology. This chapter reviews our known, updated, new models and simulation results using microwave-electronics off-the-shelf computer tool NI AWRDE to pursue advanced performances corresponding to the last generation of key photonics structural elements and important RF devices on their basis

Design Principles of 5G NR RoF-Based Fiber-Wireless Access Network

For today, much attention in the upcoming 5G New Radio (NR) mobile networks is paid to radically expanding the available spectral bands up to millimeter wavelengths (MMW). Following this tendency, currently, the local telecommunication commissions of various countries are proposing and harmonizing the plans of frequency allocation in MMW band, which will be reviewed this year at the World Radio Conference (WRC-2019). Another milestone of great importance is the development of access networks. Here, well-known radio-over-fiber (RoF) technology is considered as the most promising approach, which is implemented based on fiber-wireless (FiWi) architecture. Elaborating the direction, in this chapter we review the worldwide progress of RoF-architected 5G NR access networks and highlight our last simulation results on design and optimization of millimeter-photonic-based FiWi interface. All schemes are modeled using VPIphotonics Design Suite software tool. In the result of simulation experiments, optimal design principles of optical distribution network (ODN), fiber-wireless interface (FWI), and fiber-wireless fronthaul network (FWFN) as a whole have been proposed, described, and validated

Design of Reconfigurable Multiple-Beam Array Feed Network Based on Millimeter-Wave Photonics Beamformers

In this chapter, elaborating the direction of designing photonics-based beamforming networks (BFN) for millimeter-wave (mmWave) antenna arrays, we review the worldwide progress referred to designing multiple-beam photonics BFN and highlight our last simulation results on design and optimization of millimeter-photonics-based matrix beamformers. In particular, we review the specialties of mmWave photonics technique in 5G mobile networks of Radio-over-Fiber (RoF) technology based on fiber-wireless architecture. In addition, the theoretical background of array antenna multiple-beam steering using ideal models of matrix-based phase shifters and time delay lines is presented including a general analysis of radiation pattern sensitivity to compare updated photonics beamforming networks produced on phase shifter or true-time delay approach. The principles and ways to optimized photonics BFN design are discussed based on the study of photonics BFN scheme including integrated 8×8 optical Butler matrix (OBM). All schemes are modeled using VPIphotonics Design Suite and MATLAB software tools. In the result of simulation experiments, the outcome is obtained that both the integrated optical Butler matrix itself and the BFN based on it possess an acceptable quality of beams formation in a particular 5G pico-cell

Design and Optimization of Photonics-Based Beamforming Networks for Ultra-Wide mmWave-Band Antenna Arrays

In this chapter, we review the worldwide progress referred to designing optical beamforming networks intended to the next-generation ultra-wideband millimeter-wave phased array antennas for incoming fifth-generation wireless systems, which in recent years is under the close attention of worldwide communication community. Following the tendency, we study in detail the design concepts below true-time-delay photonics beamforming networks based on switchable or continuously tunable control. Guided by them, we highlight our NI AWRDE CAD-based simulation experiments in the frequency range of 57–76 GHz on design of two 16-channel photonics beamforming networks using true-time-delay approach. In the first scheme of the known configuration, each channel includes laser, optical modulator, and 5-bit binary switchable chain of optical delay lines. The second scheme has an optimized configuration based on only 3-bit binary switchable chain of optical delay lines in each channel, all of which are driven by four lasers with wavelength division multiplexing and a common optical modulator. In the result, the novel structural and cost-efficient configuration of microwave-photonics beamforming network combining wavelength division multiplexing and true-time-delay techniques is proposed and investigated

Modeling and Simulation in Microwave-Photonics Applications

In this chapter, with the goal to recover an optimal mean for computer-aided modeling and simulating a newer class of microwave-photonics-based radio electronic apparatuses, a number of comparative simulation experiments for the basic microwave band electronic devices and systems using well-known software tools referred to photonic design automation or upgraded electronic design automation platforms are carried out. As a result, it is shown that exploiting the software of upgraded electronic design automation platform provides significantly better accuracy of calculations for the devices and systems of this class

CSNE: Conditional Signed Network Embedding

Signed networks are mathematical structures that encode positive and negative relations between entities such as friend/foe or trust/distrust. Recently, several papers studied the construction of useful low-dimensional representations (embeddings) of these networks for the prediction of missing relations or signs. Existing embedding methods for sign prediction generally enforce different notions of status or balance theories in their optimization function. These theories, however, are often inaccurate or incomplete, which negatively impacts method performance. In this context, we introduce conditional signed network embedding (CSNE). Our probabilistic approach models structural information about the signs in the network separately from fine-grained detail. Structural information is represented in the form of a prior, while the embedding itself is used for capturing fine-grained information. These components are then integrated in a rigorous manner. CSNE's accuracy depends on the existence of sufficiently powerful structural priors for modelling signed networks, currently unavailable in the literature. Thus, as a second main contribution, which we find to be highly valuable in its own right, we also introduce a novel approach to construct priors based on the Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) principle. These priors can model the \emph{polarity} of nodes (degree to which their links are positive) as well as signed \emph{triangle counts} (a measure of the degree structural balance holds to in a network). Experiments on a variety of real-world networks confirm that CSNE outperforms the state-of-the-art on the task of sign prediction. Moreover, the MaxEnt priors on their own, while less accurate than full CSNE, achieve accuracies competitive with the state-of-the-art at very limited computational cost, thus providing an excellent runtime-accuracy trade-off in resource-constrained situations

Studying a LW-VCSEL-Based Resonant Cavity Enhanced Photodetector and Its Application in Microwave Photonics Circuits

A detailed comparative experimental study was carried out to pursue advanced performances corresponding to the key parameters of two photodetectors based on vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) operating in free-running or optically injection locked mode, as well as an inherent pin-photodetector. During the preliminary study, the key static and dynamic parameters were quantitatively determined and the optimal operating modes were derived for the both versions of VCSEL-based photodetectors as separate microwave-photonics circuit elements. Based on them, a final experiment was conducted to evaluate the processing quality, when one of the versions of VCSEL-based photodetectors or a inherent pin-photodetector is implemented as an optical-to-electrical converter for a typical microwave-photonics circuit that processes 120-Mbps 16-position quadrature amplitude modulated signal on the radio frequency carrier of 1–6 GHz. As a result, it was confirmed that better processing quality, i.e. Error Vector Magnitude value of less than 4%, could be obtained by using the free-running VCSEL-based photodetector version

DFB Quantum Cascade Laser Arrays

DFB quantum cascade laser (DFB-QCL) arrays operating between 8.7 and 9.4 mum are investigated for their performance characteristics-single-mode selection of the DFB grating, and variability in threshold, slope efficiency, and output power of different lasers in the array. Single-mode selection refers to the ability to choose a desired mode/frequency of laser emission with a DFB grating. We apply a theoretical framework developed for general DFB gratings to analyze DFB-QCL arrays. We calculate how the performance characteristics of DFB-QCLs are affected by the coupling strength kappaL of the grating, and the relative position of the mirror facets at the ends of the laser cavity with respect to the grating. We discuss how single-mode selection can be improved by design. Several DFB-QCL arrays are fabricated and their performance examined. We achieve desired improvements in single-mode selection, and we observe the predicted variability in the threshold, slope efficiency, and output power of the DFB-QCLs. As a demonstration of potential applications, the DFB-QCL arrays are used to perform infrared absorption spectroscopy with fluids.Engineering and Applied Science