SBIR-STTR Award

This proposal will explore the development of photonic integrated circuits (PICs) in multiple material systems: silicon, silicon-nitride, and TFLN and will choose the right material system for the application. As an example, low frequency control systems will likely be implemented in a silicon PIC, whereas purely passive routing and splitting may be done in silicon-nitride (as it offers lower propagation loss). If high sensitivity and large operational bandwidth are required, the system may be realized in TFLN. Fortunately, PSI has significant experience in all of these material systems. In so doing, the developed PIC technology will yield a new generation of RF-Photonic materials, devices, and system-level technologies that will provide revolutionary new capabilities for the warfighter. In addition, particular emphasis will be to ensure that modern PIC systems also account for legacy systems, i.e., they must maintain their ability to work in the low region of the spectrum, while simultaneously operating in the high region of the spectrum. This is becoming particularly important given the emergence of commercial mmW systems, which will work well into the mmW regime, and soon to extend up through W-band, i.e., 110 GHz. This being the case, it is safe to say that no RF system is currently capable of such wide operational bandwidth. Moreover, it is hard to imagine a single RF system ever being capable of such operation. It is for this reason that PSI has developed a range of RF-Photonic technologies on both the device and systems level that are specifically designed to address this need. The proposed effort leverages over $15M in past and current DoD applied research programs, which have already proven most of the critical concepts. In this proposal, we lay out a plan to develop a RF phased array imaging system centered around a PIC capable of processing high bandwidth RF signals in the optical domain.

Benefit:
PSI has plans to develop the phased array technology covered in this proposal into products for both defense and non-defense applications. For defense applications we will work with our contacts with prime defense contractors to find appropriate transition programs. PSI has worked with many of the defense primes and has contracted to work with Lockheed, Boeing, Ball Aerospace, Harris Corporation, and Raytheon among others on past efforts. Non-defense applications will use portions of the capability developed for terrestrial communication system infrastructure. This technology capability is very interesting for network applications such as cellular backhaul and fronthaul based on its high bandwidth capabilities, which are aligned with newly allocated spectrum targeting 5G cellular applications. This new 5G network builds on existing cellular capability but advances data bandwidth availability and network coverage as required by continuous user demand increases driven largely by video and is anticipated to be a multi-billion-dollar industry within the next decade. The backhaul portion of a network comprises the intermediate links between the core, or backbone, and the small subnetworks at the edge of the network. 5G also uses fronthaul which can use this same capability to extend the edge and allows for extending smaller cell sites with higher bandwidth with less logistical issues such as for fiber connectivity. To ensure success in its commercialization efforts, PSI has recently relocated to a larger space at 116 Sandy Drive in Newark, Delaware. This space is being developed in a way which will enable it to grow both the research and commercial aspects of its business by establishing key production facilities entirely under PSIs control.

Keywords:
Communications, Communications, Electronic Intelligence, Phased Arrays, Photonic Integrated Circuits, reconfigurable

This proposal will focus on building and demonstrating photonic integrated circuits (PICs) to support optical processing of RF signals in multi-channel transmit and receive phased array systems. The PICs will be incorporated into system-level demonstrations of receiving phased arrays that can process a wide range of RF frequencies (up to at least 40 GHz) with wide instantaneous bandwidths (up to 10 GHz). The optical processing PICs will mainly be realized in a silicon photonic platform with additional exploration and demonstration of hybrid or heterogenous integration with other critical material systems. The developed PIC technology will yield a new generation of RF-Photonic materials, devices, and system-level technologies that will provide revolutionary new capabilities for the warfighter. In addition, particular emphasis will be to ensure that modern PIC systems also account for legacy systems, i.e., they must maintain their ability to work in the low region of the spectrum, while simultaneously operating in the high region of the spectrum. This is becoming particularly important given the emergence of commercial mmW systems, which will work well into the mmW regime, and soon to extend up through W-band, i.e., 110 GHz. This being the case, it is safe to say that no RF system is currently capable of such wide operational bandwidth. Moreover, it is hard to imagine a single RF system ever being capable of such operation. It is for this reason that PSI has developed a range of RF-Photonic technologies on both the device and systems level that are specifically designed to address this need.

Benefit:
Photonic integrated circuits are uniquely positioned to significantly reduce the size, weight, and power of RF systems that utilize photonics for optical processing. Additionally, optical processing capabilities enable processing of unprecedented bandwidths and frequency ranges. PSI has already demonstrated RF photonic imaging systems that leverage optics for a wide range of applications including passive mmW imaging as well as RF data transmit and receive beamforming. PSI has plans to develop the phased array technology covered in this proposal primarily into systems defense applications; we will work with DoD sponsors and prime contractors to find appropriate transition programs. PSI is working with many of the defense primes and has contracted to work with several major defense contractors on current and past efforts. It is also noted that this technology is also well suited for 5G and B5G network applications. The wireless industry is at a juncture where high-throughput communication and high-fidelity sensing converge, and the ensuing demand for higher bandwidth led the concomitant move to mmW bands and beyond, where RF-photonic techniques offer a viable alternative to all-RF approaches in terms of beam-bandwidth-per-watt scalability. Applications include integrated access and backhaul (IAB), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), and joint communication and sensing (JCAS). In particular, IAB is a growing business segment of infrastructure equipment makers as a fiber-alternative deployment of small cells in urban hotspots over frequency range beyond 100 GHz, driven also by maturing 3GPP specification (release 17). Meanwhile, JCAS is emerging as a tangible beyond-5G use case for industry internet-of-things (IIoT) and V2X, as is being advocated by all the Tier-1 infrastructure venders. To this end, PSI has developed numerous areas of expertise in high-speed component design, RF simulations, RF packaging, optical components, and system design and is now adding the supply chain and application understanding expertise needed for successful commercialization of the basic capabilities.

Keywords:
Photonic Integrated Circuits, Electronic Intelligence, Phased Arrays, Communications, reconfigurable ------------ The spectrum for commercial mobile communications and wireless networks now extends well into the millimeter-wave (mmW) region and, as a result, it is imperative that military systems also begin to exploit this region of the spectrum. However, at present there is no scalable RF technology that can offer such wide operational bandwidth while maintaining compatibility with legacy systems. Therefore, the goal of the proposed effort is to establish a new paradigm for the design, development, and application of broadband RF phased array antenna systems whose performance is based on spatial perception (i.e., imaging), which serves to enable software defined multi-function operation. Much exploration has been performed in the area of co-packaged optics for datacom applications by fortune 100 companies such as Microsoft and Facebook, and the technique has emerged as the primary path for integration of photonic integrated circuits (PICs) and electronics. This proposal seeks to pioneer co-packaged optics in RF Photonic applications, through hybrid and heterogeneous integration. Consolidating the source, modulator, and routing PICs all into one system will drastically reduce SWAP-C in state-of-the-art RF communications and imaging systems. Furthermore, combining these systems with electronic circuits would compose an RF system in package , analogous to those developed for datacom applications. Novel heterogeneous and hybrid integration techniques will be explored for realizing the described packaging and integration. Also, in-depth technical discussions will be undertaken with Satellite Communication vendors to elucidate the system improvements that can be had with previously and concurrently developed systems at PSI. The team will work with The Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) to develop recipes for heterogeneous and hybrid integration, which will later be used to integrate one of PSIs RF imaging systems onto a chip-scale platform. The program will culminate in the demonstration of electronic and photonic IC integration on a single interposer.

Benefit:
Photonic integrated circuits are uniquely positioned to significantly reduce the size, weight, and power of RF systems that utilize photonics for optical processing. Additionally, optical processing capabilities enable processing of unprecedented bandwidths and frequency ranges. PSI has already demonstrated RF photonic imaging systems that leverage optics for a wide range of applications including passive mmW imaging as well as RF data transmit and receive beamforming. PSI has plans to develop its phased array technology primarily into systems defense applications; we will work with DoD sponsors and prime contractors to find appropriate transition programs. PSI is working with many of the defense primes and has contracted to work with several major defense contractors on current and past efforts. Also, PSI will pursue relationships with SATCOM vendors who utilize RF-beamforming techniques. It is also noted that this technology is also well suited for 5G and B5G network applications. The wireless industry is at a juncture where high-throughput communication and high-fidelity sensing converge, and the ensuing demand for higher bandwidth led the concomitant move to mmW bands and beyond, where RF-photonic techniques offer a viable alternative to all-RF approaches in terms of beam-bandwidth-per-watt scalability. Applications include integrated access and backhaul (IAB), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), and joint communication and sensing (JCAS). In particular, IAB is a growing business segment of infrastructure equipment makers as a fiber-alternative deployment of small cells in urban hotspots over frequency range beyond 100 GHz, driven also by maturing 3GPP specification (release 17). Meanwhile, JCAS is emerging as a tangible beyond-5G use case for industry internet-of-things (IIoT) and V2X, as is being advocated by all the Tier-1 infrastructure venders. To this end, PSI has developed numerous areas of expertise in high-speed component design, RF simulations, RF packaging, optical components, and system design and is now adding the supply chain and application understanding expertise needed for successful commercialization of the basic capabilities.

Keywords:
Heterogeneous Integration, Photonic Integrated Circuits, RF photonics, Satellite Communications, hybrid integration, Photonic Interposer