Ultra-Low Phase Noise, Ultra-Wide Band Silicon Photonics Millimeter-wave Signal Generators With Automatic Calibration

毫米波信号的产生具有超低相位噪声、超宽带和高分辨率，对于包括现代仪器、无线通信软件无线电、雷达和战争系统在内的许多应用来说，都是一个重要的挑战。虽然传统的电子信号产生技术极具挑战性，但毫米波硅-光子学技术有潜力为毫米波信号发生器提供同步的超宽带、超低相位噪声、高频率分辨率和小占地面积。利用光子学调制器、滤光器和延迟元件以及集成电子学将允许使用毫米波硅光子学来满足这些要求。该项目将演示超低相位噪声、超宽带和高分辨率毫米波硅光子信号发生器，以促进现代仪器、软件无线电、雷达和战争系统等应用的无线技术。这项研究有可能给仪器仪表和无线行业的未来带来革命性的变化，并为半导体行业提供进一步的技术多样化。除上述技术影响外，该项目还促进外联活动，以增加代表不足的群体对科学和工程的参与，包括每年为高中生举办夏令营。这项工作的研究和教育成果将传播到学术界、工业界和政府部门。该项目的主要目标是开发新型芯片级毫米波硅光子信号发生器架构，具有超低相位噪声、超宽带、连续调谐范围和高分辨率能力，使用混合绝缘体上硅(SOI)光子学和互补金属氧化物半导体(CMOS)芯片实现。硅光子学技术的出现使得实现硅光子学光电振荡器(OEO)的潜力成为可能，可以在小尺寸系统的尺寸和功耗范围内实现微波信号的产生。然而，现有的硅光子学OO的潜在实现面临着两个主要挑战：第一，由于OO结构选择不佳，调谐范围和相位噪声有限；第二，由于硅光子学技术的工艺变化，光子器件的初始响应严重失真，因此缺乏对这些初始响应的自动校准方法。CMOS电子学可以与硅光子学OEO一起使用，以执行锁相/频率锁定、激光相位噪声降低和硅光子学组件的自动校准。采用在芯片上实现的电子控制电路，可以实现信号发生器的锁相/锁频，降低激光相位噪声，并补偿硅光子学中严重的工艺和温度变化。研究目标是：(1)基于集成锁相/锁频光学振荡器和激光相位噪声消除的毫米波硅光子信号发生器的结构定义和性能分析；(2)开发一种新型的硅光子学光电振荡器结构及其元件，包括调制器、滤波器和延迟元件，以及用于其自动调谐的算法/硬件；(3)实现包括光电振荡器电子电路、激光相位噪声降低、锁相/锁频环路和自动调谐硬件在内的新型CMOS原型，以及(4)硅-光子学和CMOS芯片的混合集成，并对整个单元进行所需的测试。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Millimeter-wave (mm-wave) signal generation with ultra-low phase noise, ultra-wideband and high-resolution is an essential challenge for many applications including modern instrumentation, software-defined radios for wireless communications, radars, and warfare systems. While it is extremely challenging with conventional electronic signal generation technology, mm-wave silicon-photonics technology has the potential to provide mm-wave signal generators with simultaneous ultra-wide bandwidth, ultra-low phase noise, high frequency resolution and small footprint. Utilizing photonics modulators, filters and delay elements along with integrated electronics will allow the use of mm-wave silicon-photonics to fulfill these requirements. This project will demonstrate ultra-low phase noise, ultra-wideband, and high-resolution mm-wave silicon-photonics signal generators to advance wireless technologies for applications such as modern instrumentation, software-defined radios, radars, and warfare systems. The research has the potential to revolutionize the future of instrumentation and wireless industries and provide further technological diversification for the semiconductor industry. In addition to the aforementioned technical impacts, the project also promotes outreach activities to increase participation of under-represented groups in science and engineering, including annual summer camps for high school students. The research and educational results of this work will be disseminated to academic, industrial and government sectors.The main goal of this project is to develop novel chip-scale mm-wave silicon-photonics signal generator architectures with ultra-low phase noise, ultra-wideband, continuous tuning range, and high-resolution capabilities implemented using hybrid Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) photonics and Complementary-Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) chips. The emergence of silicon-photonics technology has enabled the potential of realizing silicon-photonics optoelectronic oscillator (OEO) to achieve microwave signal generation within the size and power consumption of small form-factor systems. However, the potential realization of existing silicon-photonics OEOs has two main challenges; first, the tuning range and phase noise are limited due to poor OEO architectural choices and, second, the photonics components’ initial responses are significantly distorted due to the process variation of silicon-photonics technology, so an automatic calibration methodology of these initial responses is missing. CMOS electronics can be employed along with the silicon-photonics OEO to perform phase/frequency locking, laser phase noise reduction, and automatic calibration of silicon-photonics components. Employing electronic control circuitry implemented on CMOS chip allows for the signal generator phase/frequency locking, laser phase noise reduction, and compensation of severe process and temperature variations in silicon-photonics. The research objectives are: (1) architecture definition of a mm-wave silicon-photonics signal generator based on an integrated phase/frequency-locked OEO with laser phase noise cancellation along with performance analysis, (2) development of a novel silicon-photonics OEO architecture and its components including modulator, filter and delay element, and algorithms/hardware for their automatic tuning, (3) implementation of novel CMOS prototypes which include the OEO electronic circuitry, laser phase noise reduction, phase/frequency locking loop and automatic tuning hardware, and (4) hybrid integration of silicon-photonics and CMOS chips and perform the required tests for the entire unit.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.