Optical-fiber’s long-

haul strengths,
coupled with
improvements in
terahertz wireless
signal generation
and handling with
photonic technology,
could constitute
part of the solution
for a data-hungry
society.

Photonics, Fiber and

THz Wireless
24 OPTICS & PHOTONICS NEWS MARCH 2017
 Getty Images

Sed min cullor si deresequi rempos magnis eum explabo. Ut

et hicimporecum sapedis di aut eum quiae nonem et adi.

Communication
Haymen Shams and Alwyn Seeds

MARCH 2017 OPTICS & PHOTONICS NEWS 25

 C onsumer demand for a range of image-
rich services and mobile apps has driven
a continuous increase in wireless data
traffic. In the early 2000s, “Edholm’s law” predicted
that wireless data volumes would double every
18 months—a prediction borne out by the latest
and, hence, higher transmitted power. That’s a major
concern for mobile, battery-operated devices.
The second approach has been to use ultra-high
bandwidths available beyond the 20 GHz frequency
band. And one part of the spectrum with considerable,
as yet unexploited potential is the THz frequency region,
report from Cisco’s visual networking index, which ranging from 0.1 to 10 THz.
showed an increase in global monthly mobile data THz spectroscopy and imaging systems have become
traffic from 2.1 exabytes (2.1 billion gigabytes) in increasingly important in applications ranging from
2014 to 3.7 exabytes in 2015. And users’ appetites for detecting explosives and concealed weapons to pharma-
potential applications such as HDTV, high-quality ceutical quality control. Yet several technical hurdles—in
videoconferencing, 3-D displays and instant access particular, the rapid attenuation of THz signals in free
to large amounts of data will likely fuel continued, space—have held back the use of the THz band in wire-
exponential increases in data traffic demand. less communication. New photonic systems are now
Accommodating those increases presents a major emerging, however, that combine the high bandwidth
challenge to wireless communication networks, which potential of THz wireless communication with the
face some fundamental limitations in data speed. long-haul potential of optical-fiber communication.
Those speed limits are based on the Shannon theorem, Such “wireless over fiber” systems could make THz
which holds that, for a given average signal power, communication part of the solution for meeting the
the channel bandwidth limits the maximum data demand of ever-greater mobile bandwidth.
rate that can be attained with a sufficiently low error
rate. There are thus two ways to boost data speeds. Searching for unallocated spectrum
The first is to increase the signal’s spectral efficiency, At present, the lower frequency bands are fully packed
or the number of transmitted data bits per second for with electromagnetic spectrum allocated for radio,
the same equipped bandwidth. For a given bit error television, cellular, Wi-Fi, radar and other uses. Wi-Fi,
rate, this approach requires higher signal-to-noise ratio the most widely used wireless public network, offers

200
180
Weakly Actively
160 Directional Steerable
Parameter Aerials Aerials
Specific attenuation (dB)

140
120
Transmitted power @ 2 mW 3 dBm 3 dBm
100
+ Transmitting-antenna gain 5 dBi 25 dBi
80
60 – Free-space loss @ 10-m link 101 dB 101 dB

40 + Receiving-antenna gain 5 dBi 25 dBi

20
Received power –88 dBm –48 dBm
0
0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0
Frequency (THz)

Attenuation and absorption of THz radiation

As the chart shows (left), absorption of THz radiation by atmospheric gases limits THz transmission to specific frequency
windows. Further, free-space attenuation causes signal strength to fall off significantly with distance. However (table, right),
the free-space attenuation penalty is reduced through the use of actively steerable antennas, which can significantly boost
the received signal relative to weakly directional aerials.
Note: In chart, specific attenuation due to atmospheric gases is based on calculated model ITU-R P676-10 for an air pressure of 1013 hPa, a temperature of 15 ºC
and a water vapor density of 7.5 g/m. In table, data are for THz signals transmitted at 300 GHz.

26 OPTICS & PHOTONICS NEWS MARCH 2017

1047-6938/17/03/24/8-$15.00 ©OSA
New photonic systems are emerging that combine the high
bandwidth potential of THz wireless communication with the
long-haul potential of optical-fiber communication.

license-free spectrum, low implementation costs and steerable antennas at the transmitter and receiver, which
ease of access. Yet these advantages, too, are limited can increase the received power by as much as 40 dB.
to the assigned bandwidth. Wi-Fi capacity based on Wireless-over-fiber technology can also play an
IEEE standard 802.11n/ac can provide speeds of up important part in overcoming the limited range of
to 100 Mbit/s for 40 MHz bandwidth at 2.4 GHz, or wireless THz systems, owing to the low losses in
433 Mbit/s for 80 MHz bandwidth in the 5 GHz frequency the optical-fiber cables for long-haul transmission.
band. Wider spectral bands have been allocated at Depending on the link distance, this frequency band
millimeter-wave frequencies from 30 GHz to 100 GHz, can support potential applications in wireless front- and
with a total bandwidth of less than 7 GHz (as in 60 GHz, backhauling systems, wireless personal area networks
70 GHz and 90 GHz frequency bands). These bands can in smart homes, kiosk downloads, and device-to-device
support data rates up to 10 Gbit/s. communications. Making such systems work in the
The THz frequency region, currently unallocated, real world, however, demands a photonic approach to
offers the potential for systems with much larger generating and distributing THz signals.
bandwidth, ranging from a few GHz to more than
Photonics for the THz signal
100 GHz. As a result, a variety of international standards
Methods for generating and detecting THz signals
organizations are exploring the technical and operational
have advanced considerably in recent years. The main
characteristics of services in the unallocated frequency
objective is to obtain a high-quality signal with the
range above 275 GHz. And research groups in Europe,
high output power necessary for radio communication
Japan, the Americas and elsewhere, supported by both
and other THz applications. That goal can be achieved
industry and government funding, are moving forward
electronically or photonically. Numerous electronics-
with R&D in THz wireless link technology.
based approaches to THz generation demonstrated thus
One technical issue in these efforts involves the
far include schemes using Schottky diodes, gallium
current lack of compact, efficient generation and detec-
arsenide and indium phosphide integrated circuits and
tion systems, which has so far limited access to the
resonant tunneling diodes.
THz communication bands. But advances in device
A photonic approach, however, has a number of
technologies can enable short-range (less than 100 m),
advantages. First and foremost, it can generate THz
high-capacity (greater than 10 Gbit/s) transmission in signals that are compatible “out of the box” with wireless-
the THz region. For wireless communication, a bigger over-fiber distribution, and that can be directly integrated
hurdle for millimeter-wave and THz systems lies into existing, low-loss optical-fiber networks. Such an
in free-space attenuation and molecular absorption, approach also allows amplitude and phase modulation
particularly by water vapor. with high-speed data. And recent progress in photonic
The free-space loss rises with the square of the carrier integration technologies for optical components could
frequency—for a 10-m link, for example, a THz system enable compact, power-efficient coherent THz systems
will have free-space losses of around 100 dB at a carrier with high spectral purity.
frequency 300 GHz. Moreover, water vapor absorption The most promising photonic technique for optical
effectively divides the spectrum into several transmis- signal generation is mixing two optical sources with
sion windows. The high losses in the path require high different frequencies in a photodiode or photomixer.
antenna gain, with line-of-sight operation, compared The mixer produces an electrical signal that has a
with the low-gain, weakly directional antennas that can frequency equal to the frequency difference between
be used at the low-GHz radio frequencies. In the THz the two optical sources, and that exhibits phase noise
frequency realm, however, antennas are sufficiently fluctuations due to the linewidths and relative frequency
small that this problem can be addressed with actively fluctuations of the two laser sources.

MARCH 2017 OPTICS & PHOTONICS NEWS 27

 The most promising photonic technique for optical signal
generation is mixing two optical sources with different
frequencies in a photodiode or photomixer.

Photonic integration of a monolithic dual-wavelength the feedback loop’s delay, which must be sufficiently
source for millimeter- and THz-wave generation can short to enable tracking of the phase variation of the
provide compact, tunable sources with improved heterodyne beat between comb line and slave laser.
spectral purity. In one monolithic-integration approach, One hybrid OPLL integration system has achieved a
two distributed-feedback (DFB) lasers are grown side frequency of up to 300 GHz, with an optical delay of
by side, and a multimode-interference (MMI) coupler less than 50 ps.
combines the wavelengths. This approach means A recently developed InP photonic integrated
that both lasers encounter the same environmental circuit (PIC) for single and dual OPLL systems could
fluctuations, but the system still suffers from thermal form the foundation of a compact, cost-effective THz
instability and phase noise, which can cause performance system. The single OPLL PIC contains a distributed
to deteriorate. Another proposal is a fully integrated Bragg reflector (DBR) laser, and a PIN photodiode with
transmitter with two DFB sources, an optical modulator passive optical waveguides for coupling the light. The
and photodetector, which can provide continuous tun- optical delay is reduced to few tens of picoseconds.
ing over the frequency range from 5 GHz to 110 GHz, This PIC showed a phase noise of less than –80 dBc/Hz
with linewidth depending on the DFB laser linewidth at an offset frequency of 10 kHz. The dual OPLL chip
(typically less than 1 MHz). can be tuned up to 1 THz, depending on the tuning
THz signals with higher spectral purity may come range of the slave lasers and the frequency span of the
from optical phase-locked sources, such as those based optical comb source.
on optical phase-locked loops (OPLL) combined with
a frequency-comb source. The comb source provides UTC-PDs to boost signal power
optical phase-correlated lines, spaced in frequency by Another key component of a THz system, the photomixer,
a supplied RF reference signal. In the OPLL technique, must have high responsivity, high saturation output
a slave laser is locked to the incoming optical reference power and a broad bandwidth response to obtain high
signal through a negative feedback loop to compensate output power in the THz range. A uni-traveling carrier
for the phase variation between the slave laser and the photodiode (UTC-PD) can meet these key requirements.
selected comb line. The main limiting parameter is The short transit time for electrons and low space charge
effect in the depletion layer enable a high-bandwidth
response (greater than 1 THz) for UTC devices.
Laser Optical In one system, in which a UTC- PD was integrated
Rear Phase Gain Front waveguides (Slave)
grating section section grating Output with a broadband log periodic antenna, an optical power
(Master)
Input input of 430 mW produced a radiated power of 2.3 μW
Lensed optical
fiber at 1.04 THz. An enhancement in the radiated output
Lensed optical
fiber Photodiodes power and bandwidth was also obtained in a travelling
3.1 mm
wave (TW) UTC-PD. Integrating a TW UTC-PD with a
resonant antenna yielded further gains in radiated output
Twin DBM lasers
power and bandwidth, with 100 mW of optical power
OFCG input producing 24 μW of radiated power at 914 GHz.
Output
input
For a single UTC device, power dissipation limits
Photodiodes restrict the total emitted power, but a power-combining
2.55 mm
technique based on an array of photodiodes can produce
Photonic integrated chips for single (top) and dual (bottom) higher output power levels. In one setup, dual UTC
monolithic optical phase locked loops (OPLL).
photodiodes in a single monolithic chip achieved an
R.J. Steed et al., Opt. Express 19, 20048 (2011); L. Ponnampalam et al., J.
Lightwave Technol. 29, 2229 (2011)

28 OPTICS & PHOTONICS NEWS MARCH 2017

 THz wireless-over-fiber: A schematic view

Single-carrier, one-way demonstration system OPTICAL 3. Combined optical signal,

Data signals TRANSMITTER amplified and filtered,
passes to one or more
1. Light from Laser 1 Optical remote antenna units
is modulated with bandpass filter (RAUs) through
the data signal via single-mode fiber (SMF)
an in-phase/qua-
drature-phase (IQ)
optical modulator Optical Optical
Optical SM F
modulator amplifier
Laser 1 amplifier

VOA
Laser 2
2. Modulated output from Laser 1 is CPW probe
combined with free-running Laser 2,
with offset frequency equal to the
desired THz signal frequency UTC-PD
chip REMOTE
ANTENNA UNIT
Realtime oscilloscope x6
Down conversion 4. At the RAU, the optical
Carrier phase estimation signal is converted to
Frequency estimation LO electrical THz waves
CMA equalization through a UTC-PD, and
Resampling then radiated to the user’s
BER mobile unit
5. At the mobile receiver unit, the electrical MOBILE
THz signal—down-converted to an IF signal
using a second-harmonic mixer, driven by a
UNIT
sixth harmonic from a local-oscillator (LO)
electrical source—is decoded using digital
signal processing techniques

Full-duplex, multicarrier prototype system 4. An optical filter selects one

High sub-band and the LO laser, and
speed PD launches the combination into
3. At the RAU, the Optical OF a high-speed photodiode (PD)
received optical coupler
multiband signal is
coupled with a local
oscillator (LO) light REMOTE
source to generate an THz signal
ANTENNA UNIT
2. These optical carriers optical heterodyne
(RAU)
are de-multiplexed, LO 5. This generates the
individually modulated, sub-THz modulated
and then recombined signal, which is
and transmitted over a radiated through an
SMF Envelope
length of standard antenna to the user
1. For the downlink, a Electrical detector mobile unit
single-wavelength single-mode fiber amplifier
(SMF) Intensity
laser, coupled with modulator
an optical frequency
comb, generates E/O mod
(RAU 2) 6. For the uplink stream,
optical coherent (RAU 3) the received THz signal
E/O mod is detected, amplified,
tones (RAU N)
E/O mod and used to drive an
Optical comb intensity modulator (tied
to the same LO laser
E/O mod
OFCG used for up-converting
Optical
combiner the downlink)
Optical
Laser
CENTRAL splitter
OFFICE PD
UL Rx
DSP
7. The baseband signal is
transmitted over the
Received UL same SMF to the
data Electrical
amplifier central office, where it
is photodetected and
demodulated

MARCH 2017 OPTICS & PHOTONICS NEWS 29

 (a) (b)

(c) (d)

Scanning electron micrographs of TW-UTC devices fabricated with: (a) coplanar probe contacts, (b) bow-tie antennas, (c) log-
periodic antennas and (d) resonant antennas.
E. Rouvalis et al., Microw. Theory Tech. IEEE Trans. 60, 509 (2012).

output power of more than 1 mW at 300 GHz with of the combined output of two lasers through digital
20 mA photocurrent per PD. processing offline at the receiver. The second is a
full-duplex, multicarrier-based system that seeks to
Putting the system together—with fiber maximize the overall data rate and achieve higher
Given the recent advances in compact, high-power, spectral efficiency, and that, for the downlink stream,
spectrally pure THz sources, researchers have made uses a single-wavelength laser to generate coherent
increasing strides in wireless-over-fiber communication tones via an optical frequency comb, thereby creating
setups in the W-band (75- 95 GHz) and for frequencies a number of phase-correlated optical carriers.
above 100 GHz. The multicarrier configuration in particular has a
In 2008, for example, researchers demonstrated a number of advantages that could ultimately help in
photonics THz system for real-time transmission with practical installations. On the downlink side, it allows
amplitude modulation on a single carrier enabled via the remote antenna unit (RAU) to be reconfigurable,
a direct-detection scheme and recovery via a square and the use of a tunable local-oscillator (LO) laser
law detector. Wireless transmission at 120 GHz, for enables frequency reuse. This gives the system more
10 Gbit/s across 400 m, has been reported. The highest flexibility for so-called picocell architectures—small,
data rate for a real-time single channel, reported in 2013, enterprise-scale base stations typically covering a
reached 48 Gbit/s at 300 GHz, using dual polarization limited area, that can provide more coverage and large
transmission. Numerous groups have also investigated capacity for mobile units. The system also enables the
phase-modulated transmission to achieve higher aggregate transmitted data rate to be increased while
spectral efficiency. using limited-bandwidth optoelectronic devices. The LO
The infographic on page 29 provides schematic laser used for upconverting the downlink is also used
illustrations of two prototype wireless-over-fiber for the uplink stream. The overall scheme is flexible in
systems. The first is a typical experimental system for terms of the signal modulation format and baud rate,
single-carrier, one-way wireless-over-single-mode-fiber the number of subchannels in the multiband and the
(SMF) transmission, involving heterodyne detection THz carrier frequency.

30 OPTICS & PHOTONICS NEWS MARCH 2017

THz wireless links could provide part of the solution for
ultra-broadband wireless in an age where the appetite for
data delivery is continually increasing.

Using an approach similar to the diagrammed THz amplification. Using THz transmitter power ampli-
multiband photonic THz generation scheme, our fiers and receiver preamplifiers can improve system
group, in 2016, demonstrated an aggregate downlink performance over long transmission distances. Thus
data rate of 100 Gbit/s in five sub-bands, modulated THz transistor amplifiers, with high power and wide
with quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK), over the bandwidth and integrated with UTC-PDs, offer one
full 220-to-280-GHz frequency band, and an uplink possible technique to increase THz power. Cost reduc-
signal with 10 Gbit/s on-off keying (OOK). Although tion in THz transistor integration technology will play
the demonstrated system achieved only a very short a crucial part here.
link (approximately 2 cm) due to the limited UTC
Notwithstanding these challenges, the combination
power, using polymethylpentene lenses at both
of integrated solutions and receivers of lower noise figure
the transmitter and receiver enables an increase to
should enable THz wireless links with throughputs
more than 70 cm, with the error rate still well below
matching optical communication systems—and help
correction limits.
move forward the next generation of wireless data. OPN
The road ahead Haymen Shams ([email protected]) and Alwyn Seeds
Particularly in light of recent progress in THz photonics ([email protected]) are with the Department of Electronic
technology and integration, THz wireless links could and Electrical Engineering, University College London, U.K.
provide part of the solution for ultra-broadband wire-
less in an age where the appetite for data delivery is
References and Resources
continually increasing. Yet many challenges also remain
c S. Cherry. “Edholm’s law of bandwidth,” http://spectrum.
for the full development of THz-based wireless links. ieee.org/telecom/wireless/edholms-law-of-bandwidth (1
These lie mainly in four areas: July 2004).
c C. Liu and A. Seeds. “Wireless-over-fiber technology:
Photonic integration. Monolithic photonic integration Bringing the wireless world indoors,” Opt. Photon. News
21(11), 28 (2010).
plays an essential role in improving overall system
c R.J. Steed et al. “Monolithically integrated heterodyne
performance in terms of cost, size and reduced coupling optical phase-lock loop with RF XOR phase detector,” Opt.
losses between photonic components. Express 19, 20048 (2011).
c L. Ponnampalam et al. “Monolithically integrated photonic
heterodyne system,” J. Lightwave Technol. 29, 2229 (2011).
Wireless transmitted power. THz transmitters still lack
c E. Rouvalis et al. “Continuous-wave terahertz generation
output power, which is limited by UTC photomixer from ultra-fast InP-based photodiodes,” Microw. Theory
optical responsivity, frequency response and generated Tech. IEEE Trans. 60, 509 (2012).
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Status in research, standardization and regulation,” J.
arrays and antenna arrays can overcome the power Infrared Millimeter Terahertz Waves 35, 53 (2013).
limitation in long-distance transmission, and allow c A.J. Seeds et al. “Terahertz photonics for wireless com-
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operational characteristics of the active services operating
in the range 275 -1000 GHz,” www.itu.int/pub/R-QUE-
Beam directivity. Implementing optical beam-forming SG01.237 (2015).
using phased-array antennas reduces the required c “Cisco Visual Networking Index : Global mobile data traffic
transmitted power at THz frequencies by directing forecast update, 2015–2020,” Cisco (3 February 2016).
“IEEE 802.15 WPAN Task Grooup 3d 100 Gbit/s Wireless (TG
the power to mobile units. However, the beam steering
c
3d (100G)),” www.ieee802.org/15/pub/IGthz.html (2016).
capability is still difficult to achieve over the large c H. Shams et al. “Sub-THz wireless over fiber for frequency
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MARCH 2017 OPTICS & PHOTONICS NEWS 31