We present the fabrication and testing of a prototype high-speed, quad-channel mid-board optics transceiver chipset and module applicable to VCSEL-based intra-satellite optical interconnects. The optical transceiver (OTRx) chipset comprises a VCSEL driver and a TIA integrated circuit (IC) both manufactured in IHP 130 nm SiGe BiCMOS process. The 4-channel OTRx module operates at 850 nm wavelength. It features low power consumption, a small form factor and it is pluggable on the host board through a micro edge card (MEC) connector. We present first functional test results in loop-back configuration at data rates up to 15 Gb/s per channel. The work is performed within the framework of H2020-SPACE-SIPHODIAS project. Additional presentation content can be accessed on the supplemental content page.
The European H2020-SPACE-ORIONAS project targets the development of optical transceiver and amplifier integrated circuits and modules applicable to high-speed and compact laser communication terminals. This paper presents the most recent project achievements in two areas. Firstly, the fabrication of high-speed electronic-photonic modulator and receiver circuits monolithically integrated in the silicon photonics platform and their assembly in bread-board level photonic modules. Secondly, the assembly, integration and testing of a radiation resistant, high-gain optical fiber preamplifier which exploits hi-rel small form factor fiber optics to shrink the module mass and footprint.
The EU-SIPhoDiAS project deals with the development of critical photonic building blocks needed for highperformance and low size, weight, and power (SWaP) photonics-enabled Very High Throughput Satellites (VHTS). In this presentation, we report on the design and fabrication activities during the first year of the project concerning the targeted family of digital and microwave photonic components. This effort aims to demonstrate components of enhanced reliability at technology readiness level (TRL) 7. Specifically, with respect to microwave photonic links, we report: (i) the design of Ka and Q-bands analogue photodetectors that will be assembled in compact packages, allowing for very high bandwidth per unit area and (ii) on the design of compact V-band GaAs electro-optic modulator arrays, which use a folded-path optical configuration to manage all fiber interfaces packaged opposite direct in-line RF feeds for ease of board layouts and mass/size benefits. With respect to digital links, we report on the development of 100 Gb/s (4 x 25 Gb/s) digital optical transceiver sub-assemblies developed using flip-chip mounting of electronic and opto-parts on a high-reliability borosilicate substrate. The transceiver chipset developed specifically for this project refers to fullycustom 25 Gb/s radiation hard (RH) VCSEL driver and TIA ICs designed in IHP’s 130 nm SiGe BiCMOS Rad-Hard process.
To concurrently cope with the scarcity of RF frequency bands, the growing capacity demand and the required lower cost of the ground segment, Very High Throughput Satellites systems must rely on new technical solutions. Optical feeder links are considered as a promising alternative to surpass classical RF technology, offering assets inherent to optical technologies (large bandwidth, no frequency regulation, low beam divergence, components availability). Nevertheless the potential of this technology shall not conceal the remaining challenges to be overcome to make it relevant for operational missions : clouds, turbulence, power generation and high efficiency modulations. VERTIGO (Very High Throughput Satellite Ground Optical Link) is a 3-year H2020 project funded by the European commission and started mid-2019 focusing on the optical link itself regardless of site diversity aspect and aiming at demonstrating in a ground demonstration required technologies to implement very high capacity optical feeder links. In particular, VERTIGO is built on 3 pillars each addressing a key issue for the implementation of optical feerder links: 1) Throughput increase through the use of advanced schemes with high spectral and power efficiency compared to current modulations used in space, as well as RF-over-Fiber approach. 2) High optical power generation to close the demanding link budgets by developing on-board and ground means to raise the transmitted optical power, not only based on amplifier power increase, but also on incoherent/coherent power combining. 3) Opto-mechanical and digital techniques for the mitigation of atmospheric propagation impairments, to make full use of throughput and power increases. Several demonstrations in-flight or on-ground already demonstrated separately key aspects (atmospheric propagation and impairments mitigation techniques, modulation format, high power…), for the implementation of optical (feeder) links. These aspects are closely linked since the solutions to each of them are necessary but not sufficient to allow for high throughput transmissions. VERTIGO concept is to address each key issue with at least one solution and to combine them in an unprecedented manner. To reach these objectives, VERTIGO will lean on a highly skilled consortium composed of : CREONIC, ETH Zürich, Fraunhofer HHI, Gooch and Housego, Leo Space Photonics RD, ONERA, Thales Research and Technology, Thales Alenia Space in France and Switzerland. This paper will present the VERTIGO project and its status.
H2020-SPACE-ORIONAS is a 3-year Research and Innovation Action program funded by the European Commission focusing on the development of compact optical transceiver and amplifier modules applicable to new generation optical inter-satellite links. ORIONAS explores photonic integrated circuits and small form factor fiber optics leveraging their success in datacenter interconnect and hi-rel aerospace applications to deliver miniaturized modules and devices that can shrink considerably the SWaP of lasercom terminals. This paper presents the most recent project achievements.
H2020-SPACE-ORIONAS is a 3-year Research and Innovation Action program funded by the European Commission focusing on the development of compact optical transceiver and amplifier modules applicable to new generation optical inter-satellite links. ORIONAS explores photonic integrated circuits and small form factor fiber optics leveraging their success in datacenter interconnect and hi-rel aerospace applications to deliver miniaturized modules and devices that can shrink considerably the SWaP of lasercom terminals. This paper presents the most recent project achievements.
We present recent progress in developing miniaturized optical transmitters and receiver amplifiers for space communications. Three C-band high-speed optical transmitter designs are presented: a bespoke 300 mW version as part of TNO’s “SmallCat” terminal to fly on-board NordSat and two variants that provide 300 mW and 3 W of optical power complying to standard cubesat form factors. In addition to these transmitters, an ultra-small form factor, high gain, low noise amplifier, for boosting received signals is presented.
We present recent progress in developing miniaturized optical transmitters and receiver amplifiers for space communications. Three C-band high-speed optical transmitter designs are presented: a bespoke 300 mW version as part of TNO’s “SmallCat” terminal to fly on-board NordSat and two variants that provide 300 mW and 3 W of optical power complying to standard cubesat form factors. In addition to these transmitters, an ultra-small form factor, high gain, low noise amplifier, for boosting received signals is presented.
We present the development and verification testing of a high speed multimode, multicore transceiver technology for intra-satellite optical interconnects. We report the fabrication and functional testing of opto-parts including 25 Gb/s 850 nm VCSEL/PD as well as the verification testing of the VCSELs against radiation and lifetime performance. In addition we report the development and evaluation testing of a multi-core cable assembly that was fabricated and mated with MiniAVIM multi-core connectors to develop hi-rel multi-core optical patchcords for pigtailing the transceiver modules. The fiber optic, electronic and opto-parts were used to assemble the first ever fully packaged and pigtailed, six-core optical transceiver prototype module that operates at 25 Gb/s channel bit rate at an energy consumption of ∠4.5 mW/Gb/s.
We present the development and qualification testing of G&H multi-channel fiber amplifier unit developed for satellite to ground free space laser communications. The qualification results show robust functional and structural performance following stress at all 3 possible excitation axes with high level sine vibration, random vibration and mechanical shock as well as thermal cycling between survival and operating temperatures in vacuum condition.
KEYWORDS: Laser applications, RF photonics, Free space optics, Laser development, Free space optical communications, Frequency conversion, High power lasers, Telecommunications, Satellites, Laser damage threshold
This article reports the development of 200-mW 1.55-μm DFB laser module with RIN below -162 dB/Hz which are well suited for microwave photonics or free space optical communication applications. Specific design has allowed reaching high power (>300 mW), low noise and high spectral purity laser chip. The chip has been packaged in Butterfly module optimized for reducing the module power consumption. DFB laser module system validations have been done on three laboratory test-beds representative of target applications, namely high-frequency optical LO distribution, photonic RF frequency conversion, and free space optical communication links.
Vanessa Duarte, João Prata, Rogério Nogueira, Georg Winzer, Lars Zimmermann, Rob Walker, Stephen Clements, Marta Filipowicz, Marek Napierala, Tomasz Nasilowski, Jonathan Crabb, Leontios Stampoulidis, Javad Anzalchi, Miguel Drummond
KEYWORDS: Signal to noise ratio, Phase shifts, Photonics, Signal processing, Photonic integrated circuits, Interference (communication), Signal attenuation, Satellite communications, Satellites, Signal detection
In this paper we present a 4-channel silicon photonic true-time delay (TTD) beamformer in which the phase of each channel is automatically adjusted in real-time. Beamforming was demonstrated with a 1 Gb/s QPSK signal carried at 28 GHz. The demonstration comprised the following custom made devices: two arrays of GaAs Mach-Zehnder modulators (MZMs), a radiation-hardened 7-core erbium-doped fiber amplifier (MC-EDFA) for power boosting, and a silicon photonic integrated circuit (PIC) containing a 4 × 1 TTD optical beamformer network (OBFN). Having provided a successful proof-of-concept demonstration, the dimensioning of an end-to-end photonic-aided payload receiver is here studied. It comprises the proposed OBFN fed by 100 antenna elements (AEs) in a multibeam scenario, also providing an estimation of the system’s power consumption.
Multicore fiber enables a parallel optic data link in a single optical fiber. Thus, it is an attractive approach to increase the aggregate data throughput and the integration density of the interconnection.
We developed and demonstrated mid-board optical transceiver modules employing novel multicore fiber pigtails and multicore-optimized optoelectronic engines. The silica fibers having 125 µm diameter and including six graded-index multimode cores enable multi-gigabit interconnects at very short distances. The fiber is compatible with the 850-nm VCSEL technology that has many advantages, such as, the very low power operation and the mature and cost-effective GaAs-based device technology.
The transceiver incorporates transmitter and receiver subassemblies that are based on the multicore-optimized 850-nm VCSEL and photodiode array chips as well as on the co-designed multichannel VCSEL driver and TIA receiver ICs. All devices are operating up to 25 Gbps/channel and beyond, thus creating a 150 Gbps full-duplex link with the two 6-core fibers. The active areas on the 6-channel VCSEL and PD chips are arranged in a circular array layout that matches the cross-sectional layout of the fiber cores. This allows butt coupling to the fiber cores. The power consumption of the complete link is below 5 mW/Gbps.
The transceiver was developed to be applicable for harsh environmental conditions, including space. Therefore, for instance, hermetic packaging was applied and both the active devices and the integration structure enable very wide operation temperature range of up to approx. 100 °C.
This paper will present the technical approach including the basic building blocks and the transceiver module implementation. It will also present the results of the data link performance and some reliability testing.
We present the space qualification of a multi-channel mid-power booster optical fiber amplifier (OFA) suitable for 1550nm LEO satellite to ground laser communication downlinks. The end-to-end OFA development from conceptual design all the way through qualification testing followed ECSS-level Product Assurance guidelines for deployed materials, components and processes. The environmental qualification test programme relied on ECSS-E-10-03C which is the ESA standard for qualification testing of space segment hardware. The qualification results show robust functional and structural performance following stress at all 3 possible excitation axes with high level sine vibration, random vibration and mechanical shock as well as thermal cycling between survival and operating temperatures in vacuum condition. In addition to thermo-mechanical tests, proton and gamma radiation tests performed on component and sub-assembly level suggest that the OFA is capable to deliver its performance under ionizing and non-ionizing radiation levels found in the LEO orbit. The OFA has been delivered for system integration into the Optel-μ terminal, applicable to small satellite platforms.
Photonics is progressively transforming from a highly- focused technology applicable to digital communication networks into a pervasive “enabling” technology with diverse non-telecom applications. However, the centre of mass on the R&D level is still mostly driven by, and invested in, by stakeholders active in the telecoms domain. This is due to the high level of investments necessary that in turn require a large and established market for reaching break-even and generation of revenues. Photonics technology and more specifically, fibre-optic technology is moving into non-telecom business areas with great success in terms of markets captured and penetration rates. One example that cannot be overlooked is the application of fibre-optics to industrial applications, where double-digit growth rates are recorded with fibre lasers and amplifiers constantly gaining momentum. In this example, several years of R&D efforts in creating high-power amplification solutions and fibre-laser sources by the telecom sector, were piggy-backed into industrial applications and laser cutting/welding equipment that is now a strong R&D sector on its own and commercially now displacing some conventional free space laser cutting/welding.
Optical laser communications (OLC) has been identified as the technology to enable high-data rate, secure links between and within satellites, as well as between satellites and ground stations with decreased mass, size, and electrical power compared to traditional RF technology.
Modern broadband communication networks rely on satellites to complement the terrestrial telecommunication infrastructure. Satellites accommodate global reach and enable world-wide direct broadcasting by facilitating wide access to the backbone network from remote sites or areas where the installation of ground segment infrastructure is not economically viable. At the same time the new broadband applications increase the bandwidth demands in every part of the network - and satellites are no exception. Modern telecom satellites incorporate On-Board Processors (OBP) having analogue-to-digital (ADC) and digital-to-analogue converters (DAC) at their inputs/outputs and making use of digital processing to handle hundreds of signals; as the amount of information exchanged increases, so do the physical size, mass and power consumption of the interconnects required to transfer massive amounts of data through bulk electric wires.
Our research results concerning a space-dedicated C-band optical amplifier for application in telecommunication satellites are presented in this article. The device is based on a 7-core microstructured fiber where independent access to each core is granted by an all fiber fan-in/ fan-out coupler. The amplifier properties are described as well as its performance after irradiation to a maximal dose of 100 kRad. Also the difference between two kinds of fiber material compositions is discussed with regard to radiation resistance.
Laser communications has been identified as the technology to enable high-data rate, secure links between and within satellites, as well as between satellites and ground stations with decreased mass, size, and electrical power compared to traditional RF technology.
Photonics is progressively becoming an enabling technology across all space segments [1] including Earth observation, telecommunications and navigation. Due to the inherent advantages offered by the technology, new generation of photonic-enabled systems are being deployed or are ready to proceed towards the demonstration phase.
In this paper we present erbium doped fibre (EDF) aimed at signal amplification within satellite photonic payload systems operating in C telecommunication band. In such volume-hungry applications, the use of advanced optical transmission techniques such as space division multiplexing (SDM) can be advantageous to reduce the component and cable count.
We present progress on the design, development and space qualification of high-power Distributed Feedback (DFB) lasers and single- and multi-mode pump laser modules that can be used in diverse applications, such as laser communications, navigation and flexible photonic payload systems.
Optical fiber amplifiers are key building blocks in laser communication terminals and telecom photonic payloads. In this paper we present 1.55μm booster amplifiers and pre-amplifiers suitable for satellite to ground, inter-satellite links and flexible photonic payloads. We validate the designs in the relevant space environment by characterizing the performance against ionizing radiation and report on functional performance of the amplifiers over temperature, in thermal vacuum and after vibration and mechanical shock.
Multicore fiber enables a parallel optic data link with a single optical fiber, thus providing an attractive way to increase the total throughput and the integration density of the interconnections. We study and present photonics integration technologies and optical coupling approaches for multicore transmitter and receiver subassemblies. Such optical engines are implemented and characterized using multimode 6-core fibers and multicore-optimized active devices: 850-nm VCSEL and PD arrays with circular layout and multi-channel driver and receiver ICs. They are developed for bit-rates of 25 Gbps/channel and beyond, i.e. <150 Gbps per fiber, and also optimized for ruggedized transceivers with extended operation temperature range, for harsh environment applications, including space.
We present results from the development of a dual channel Optical Fiber Amplifier (OFA) that consists of two copropagating low noise EDFAs at 1565 and 1545nm. The two channels have separate outputs but can also be combined via an optical switch to a common output channel for an increased output signal power. The OFA produces up to 35dB gain at low signal input powers and a total of over 350mW optical signal power combined from both EDFA channels with a 5mW signal input. The OFA was tested with input signals between 0.1 – 20 mW over the C-band and with pump power varying from 0 – 100% of the maximum operating pump power. The OFA module has total mass of 583 g including all electrical and optical components, as well as optical and electrical bulkheads, and a total module volume of 430 cm3. The module was also radiation tested via gamma irradiation up to 100 krad TID, validating the robustness of the optical amplifier against RIA effects and its suitability for LEO and GEO satellite missions.
Photonic routers are expected to enable ultra-high bit rates, high levels of integration and power efficiency. The BOOM
European project aims to develop on a SOI platform the photonic bricks towards the first silicon-optics switch fabric.
We present current development efforts on hybrid photonic integration for new generation "faster and greener" Tb/scapacity
optical networks. On the physical layer, we present the development of a versatile, silicon-based photonic
integration platform that acts as a technology "blender" bringing together different material systems including III-V and
silicon-based semiconductors. The platform is also used to implement the so-called O-to-O (optical-to-optical)
functionalities by patterning low-loss passive components such as MMI couplers and delay interferometers. With these
passive building blocks as well as the ability for hybrid assembly of active material, we demonstrate the fabrication of
key optical transport and routing devices such as optical demodulators and all-optical wavelength converters. These
devices can now be used to fabricate chip-scale 100 GbE transceiver PICs and Tb/s-capacity wavelength switching
platforms.
The European BOOM project aims at the realization of high-capacity photonic routers using the silicon material as the
base for functional and cost-effective integration. Here we present the design, fabrication and testing of the first BOOMgeneration
of hybrid integrated silicon photonic devices that implement key photonic routing functionalities. Ultra-fast
all-optical wavelength converters and micro-ring resonator UDWDM label photodetectors are realized using either 4um
SOI rib or SOI nanowire boards. For the realization of these devices, flip-chip compatible non-linear SOAs and
evanescent PIN detectors have been designed and fabricated. These active components are integrated on the SOI boards
using high precision flip-chip mounting and heterogeneous InP-to-silicon integration techniques. This type of scalable
and cost-effective silicon-based component fabrication opens up the possibility for the realization of chip-scale, power
efficient, Tb/s capacity photonic routers.
In the present communication we discuss recent advances in the development of Semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA)-based interferometric optical gates and their use through the implementation of functional high-speed optical systems.
SOA Mach-Zehnder interferometers (SOA-MZI) show great potential for being used as fundamental building blocks in
developing intelligent high speed all-optical sub-systems. In this context we discuss the development of optical systems
that perform diverse and non-trivial network functionalities that find application in Optical Packet/Burst Switching
networks (OPS/OBS). The use of generic building blocks to develop a variety of optical sub-systems is essential, as this
avoids the requirement for custom-made technological solutions and allows for a common fabrication procedure for all
subsystems.
In this context, we discuss latest research on integration of arrays of such optical switches onto the same photonic chip
using hybrid integration technology. The development of such arrays reduces the cost of photonic devices by sharing the
packaging and pigtailing costs. By using an integrated quadruple array of SOA-MZI switches we demonstrate the front-end
unit of an All-optical Label Switched node that performs clock recovery, data recovery and label/payload separation,
and a scalable Time Slot Interchanger (TSI), proving the multi-functionality and processing power of such device. Both
functional systems exhibit comparable performance compared to implementations using single switches with
significantly lower device costs. The cost reduction offered by the integration of multiple switches on the same chip is
also evident in high-speed WDM networks, where multi-wavelength regeneration can be achieved with the use of several
integrated switch arrays.
We report an all-optical module that performs simultaneous header separation and reinsertion in 10-Gbit/s short optical packets of variable payload length and that consists of two subunits. The first uses a Fabry-Perot filter and an ultrafast nonlinear interferometer (UNI) to perform packet clock recovery. The second is a UNI gate configured as a 2×2 exchange bypass switch that is optically controlled by the recovered clock packets. Using fixed delays, the data packets and the locally generated headers are fed into the 2×2 switch, where header replacement is achieved.
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