SBIR Phase II: 3D Photonic Filters for Full Duplex, Interference Free Network Links

该项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力包括能够满足电缆基础设施的要求，同时通过解决关键技术问题在频谱分配方面开辟更多市场。在国内的城市和农村社区，都存在着改善固定和移动的应用的连接性的巨大需求。有线基础设施一直在努力跟上用户的需求，因为在社区部署光纤涉及大量资金。此外，物联网（IoT）和自动驾驶汽车等新应用完全依赖于无线技术。移动的数据使用一直在经历指数级增长，2006-2016年的复合年增长率为92%。当前的移动的基础设施无法支持下一代应用，如远程医疗保健、自动驾驶车辆的车对车和车对基础设施通信以及下一代互联农业。这些应用受到当今移动的网络的可用带宽、低可靠性和高延迟的限制。该行业正在寻求扩大现有基础设施的覆盖范围和容量，以使这些应用程序具有大幅通信的潜力。这个小型企业创新研究第二阶段项目将建立在现有的低损耗光子集成电路（PIC）有限脉冲响应（FIR）滤波器技术的基础上，通过展示一个商业上可行的三维（3D）PIC滤波器和消除器。其智能优势集中在3D PIC架构上，该架构具有快速层切换和超低损耗波导，可在电缆和无线解决方案中的复杂动态多径反射环境中创建高度适应性、可调的真实时间延迟和干扰信号的详细表征。该3D PIC系统旨在实现以下目标：100 dB的总干扰消除;用于多抽头消除FIR滤波器的小芯片尺寸;高速切换;全双工通信链路演示;以及在实验室环境中演示频带泄漏和PIM干扰消除。改进的设计将允许瞄准涉及复杂干扰消除场景的无线通信中的额外市场，这些场景如今严重限制了频谱利用率和网络吞吐量。建议的3D PIC不仅能够实现全双工操作（同信道自干扰），而且还能够实现相邻信道消除（保护带消除）和无源互调失真（PIM）消除，以实现更高的吞吐量回程。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this project include the ability to meet the requirements of cable infrastructure while opening additional markets in spectrum allocation by solving key technical problems. There is a massive need for improved connectivity for both fixed and mobile applications, in both urban and rural communities, within the nation. Wired infrastructure has struggled to keep up with the needs of users due to the large capital involved in deploying fiber to communities. Additionally, new applications like Internet of Things (IoT) and autonomous vehicles are entirely reliant on wireless technologies. Mobile data usage has been experiencing exponential growth, 92% CAGR from 2006-2016. Current mobile infrastructure cannot support next generation applications like remote healthcare, vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication for self-driving vehicles and next generation connected farming. These applications are constrained by the available bandwidth, low reliability and high latency of today's mobile networks. The industry is looking to expand reach and capacity of existing infrastructure to enable these applications with the potential to drastically communication. This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project will build upon the existing low-loss photonic integrated circuit (PIC) Finite Impulse Response (FIR) filter technology developed under Phase I by demonstrating a commercially viable three-dimensional (3D) PIC filter and canceler. The intellectual merit centers around the 3D PIC architecture with fast layer switching and ultra-low-loss waveguides for creating highly adaptable, tunable true time delays and detailed characterization of interfering signals in complex, dynamic multi-path reflection environments in cable and wireless solutions. The 3D PIC system aims to achieve under this project: total interference cancellation of 100 dB; small die footprint for a multi-tap cancellation FIR filter; high-speed switching; demonstration of full duplex communication links; and demonstration of band leakage and PIM interference cancellation in a laboratory environment. The improved designs will allow targeting additional markets in wireless communication involving complex interference cancellation scenarios that today severely limit spectrum utilization and network throughput. The proposed 3D PICs not only enable full duplex operation (co-channel self-interference) but also adjacent channel cancellation (guard band elimination) and passive intermodulation distortion (PIM) cancellation for higher throughput backhaul.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.