NeTS: Small: Elastic RF-Optical Networking (ERON) System and Technologies

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This project seeks an innovative approach to the design of very high-bandwidth and ubiquitous wireless networks exploiting the unique properties of RF-photonic signal processing and integrated photonics for emerging next-generation and high-bandwidth 5G technologies. The flexibility offered by the photonic and electronic system co-design has the potential to provide a 100-fold increase in bandwidth available for the mobile users, compared to what currently available with current technology. This project will exploit key enabling physical layer technologies, such as dynamic optical waveform generation and measurement (OAWG and OAWM) on silicon photonics (SiP), together with SiP lattice filters (SiPhaser) and photonic mixers. The combination of these technologies will provide a unique and efficient front-haul architecture to perform analog massive-MIMO beamforming at mm-wave frequencies without requiring any complex high-speed RF circuitry. The following topics will be investigated: (1) RF-Optical Networking architecture design and performance studies; (2) DSP, coding, and mmWave-MIMO algorithms development; (3) simulation studies of analog RF-optical beamforming by SiPhaser filters; (4) Proof-of-principle demonstration of SDM MIMO mmWave with RF-photonic processing.Future Internet applications will exponentially increase the demand for ubiquity, mobility, and bandwidth through diverse platforms, in particular, rapidly expanding cloud data center infrastructures. Today's wireless networks are typically limited to 1~100 Mb/s connectivity with limited end-to-end throughput, latency, and reliability. While fiber optic networks provide 1~100 Tb/s capacity on each single-mode-fiber over thousands of kilometer distances, they are limited to wide area and metro networks, not readily accessible by mobile users. This project seeks to improve our nation's cyberinfrastructure by making additional bandwidth available to citizens with mobile devices. The project will also provide an exciting opportunity to train students in design, developing, and testing algorithms and physical layer technologies on a futuristic networking platform.