RF communications in the e-city (RF-Cité)

城市是全球经济的发动机，创造了大量创新。城市规划者设想了一个“数字城市”，在这个城市中，无处不在的宽带无线和计算使运营更加高效和有效。然而，使用量的增加超过了能效的提高，导致无线接入网络的能耗出现了不可持续的增长。RF-Cité的目标是建立以实现“可持续数字城市”愿景所需的密度部署的无线接入的技术可行性和环境可持续性。预期结果包括对射频的光学传输、电子到光学频率上转换、在毫米波范围内产生和分发频谱纯本机振荡器信号的原始架构的广泛模拟，以及从能耗角度对射频的模拟和数字光传输进行明确的评估。这些模拟将通过关键设备和子系统的实验原型来验证。该项目通过倡导相干光纤射频传输进行创新。这项研究在将先进的数字信号处理与先进的光子器件相结合方面处于领先地位，其中包括超窄线宽的单波长和多波长连续波和锁模半导体激光器，以及用于增强相干功能的平面光电路。这项实验工作最大限度地利用了光子技术实验室最近的投资，包括任意波形发生器和先进的光学调制分析仪。该项目之所以重要，是因为它与联邦政府在数字经济方面的优先事项一致。由于其大部分人口已经生活在城市地区，加拿大可以成为数字城市出现带来的经济和社会效益的先锋，而抓住所产生的商业化机会的加拿大企业可能会获得及早进入市场的好处。此外，该项目将培养高素质和高技能的人才，受益于工业和国际层面丰富的环境，促进向行业的有效知识转移，并帮助他们满足就业需求。

Cities are the dynamo of the global economy responsible for the bulk of innovation. Urban planners envisage a 'Digital City' in which ubiquitous broadband wireless and computing enables operations to be more efficient and effective. However, increased use is outstripping energy efficiency improvements leading to unsustainable growth in the energy consumption of wireless access networks. The goal of RF-Cité is to establish the technical viability and environmental sustainability of wireless access deployed at the density necessary to realise a 'Sustainable Digital City' vision. The expected results include extensive simulations of original architectures for the optical transport of RF; for electronic to optical frequency up-conversion; for generating and distributing spectrally pure local oscillator signals in the mm-wave range; and a definitive assessment of analogue versus digital optical transport of RF from an energy consumption perspective. These simulations will be validated by experimental prototyping of key devices and subsystems. The project innovates through its advocacy of coherent optical RF transmission. The research is cutting edge in combining advanced digital signal processing and advanced photonic devices that include ultra-narrow line width single and multi-wavelength continuous wave and mode-locked semiconductor lasers, and planar light circuits for enhanced coherent functionality. The experimental work maximally leverages recent investments in the Photonic Technology Laboratory including an arbitrary waveform generator and advanced optical modulation analyser. The project is important because it aligns with the federal government's priority on Digital Economy. With the majority of its population already living in urban areas, Canada can be in the vanguard to reap the economic and social benefits of the emergence of digital cities, and Canadian enterprises that grasp the commercialisation opportunities generated may reap the benefits of being early to market. Additionally, the project will develop highly qualified and skilled personnel, benefiting from an environment enriched by an industrial and an international dimension, promoting effective knowledge transfer to industry and helping them fill their employment needs.