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

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