High-speed data transmission system using silicon-based optical phased array

Abstract

Optical wireless data transmission is an emerging complementary technology compared to the RF transmission in 5G and 6G communications. The optical phased array (OPA) would be a promising component for such high-speed wireless transmission requiring beam-steering function. We achieved 25Gbps data transmission using silicon-based OPA and commercialized photodetector (PD). OPA was designed as 64 channels having output beam divergence angle less than 1 degrees for both horizontal and vertical direction. The diverging beam is received by high-speed PD with active diameter less than 30 mu m. The demonstration of 25Gbps data transmission was practiced with OPA's output beam power as 0dBm and a free-space range of 1.5m. Received signal from photodetector has an eye-diagram with an extinction ratio of 5dB. Depending on our link power budget, higher output beam power and smaller beam divergence angle concludes to longer free-space range and larger bandwidth. Improvements on beam concentration by lens system could also increase range and bandwidth.