Grant: Strategic Projects - Group

The objective of this proposal is to design, have fabricated and test a 60-GHz wireless-to-photonic interface chip for wireless access points (APs). These novel chips will provide the basic capability for dramatic increases in data rate for wireless access networks. The motivation for higher device speeds is the ever-increasing number of wireless users and their ever-increasing demand for more capacity, especially for wirelessly connected laptops and smart-phones. For home/office applications, these higher data rates will be useful for wireless high-definition video (uncompressed streaming requires 2 Gb/s), wireless laptop docking stations, fast file transfer via wireless Gigabit Ethernet to and from peripherals such as disk drives, cameras, etc. Such systems will be be used for the majority of next-generation ultra-high data-rate wireless connectivity. The present challenge is how to assemble such a system in a cost-effective manner. This proposal addresses the critical aspects of integration of optical back-end (lasers, modulators, detectors) and wireless front-end components (circuits and antennas) of the envisioned wireless-to-photonic interface chip. As a proof-of-concept a high-data-rate single-chip wireless-to-photonic interface system will be designed, fabricated, and tested. Most importantly, all components and sub-systems designed by our group will be commercially fabricated on a single chip or chip module, accessed via the OpSIS foundry service. The design research is supported by local companies Lumerical Solutions and Crosslight Software. Fabrication, Packaging and Test is supported by Optelian/Versawave and Sierra Wireless. The applications are motivated and supported by Sierra Wireless, Optelian/Versawave, Microsoft, and Intel.