TERAPOD Terahertz based Ultra High Bandwidth Wireless Access Networks
To investigate and demonstrate the feasibility of ultra high bandwidth wireless access networks operating in the Terahertz (THz) band.
TERAPOD Objectives Advance the Technology Readiness Level of THz communication devices and systems Fully integrated first adopter Data Center demonstrator Regulation and Standardisation Promote THz communications systems science
TERAPOD Workplan Requirements Devices and Systems Protocols Simulation Measurement and Characterisation (System and Channel) Demonstration
Technology innovations for demonstration Reliable, high efficiency and high power THz RTD sources Low barrier diodes for operation as THz mixer Power combination of multiple THz sources Novel measurement and characterisation techniques for THz devices Novel substrate integrated THz antennas PHY and MAC layer THz communications protocols targeting various use cases Standardisation and Regulation (IEEE, ITU, WRC)
Target Scenario Data Centre Short range (1-10 m) High data rates (10-100 Gbps) Topology Protocols/integration Low mobility Uplink and downlink Limited sensitivity to cost
RTD THz sources Layout of THz RTD Source Equivalent circuit of THz RTD Source 261 GHz RTD oscillator with 25 µm 2 device size and 65 µm Microstrip inductor 312 GHz RTD oscillator with 16 µm 2 device size and 88 µm Microstrip inductor
Uni-Travelling Carrier (UTC) PD THz sources Multi-channel 100 Gbps THz link 4 25 Gbps channel transmission with UTC emitters demonstrated Based on comb sources and digital coherent systems UTC photodiodes for THz emission and detection Already demonstrated 200 µw emitted at 300 GHz Detection of 5 Gbpswith 60 GHz carrier Planned development of: New antenna designs Multiple emitter arrays
Coherent power and phase combination of multiple THz sources Low power and high propagation loss limits THz devices to short distances Sub 1 mw for RTDs and UTC-PDs THz devices can be combined to increase output power Technical innovation Combine multiple UTC-PDs into an antenna array with a photonic integrated phase distribution circuit Aim to increase power and enable electronic beam steering
Antenna designs tailored for RTD, UTC-PD and SBD Challenge: III-V substrates absorb antenna radiation due to high permittivity Potential solutions: Photonic crystals embedded into the substrate Substrate integrated waveguide Deposition of layers of thin film polymers (e.g. BCB, polyimide) Vivaldi Antenna Design Air Substrate InP Substrate Photonic crystal substrate Substrate integrated waveguide horn antenna
300 GHz receiver development Expected features Compact, low cost, high performance heterodyne receiver Compatible with a photonic LO source (RTD and/or UTC-PD) Well suited for receiver arrays Equivalent Circuit/ Nonlinear Simulations ACST 300 GHz mixer module 3-D RF-Design
PHY and MAC layer THz communications protocols PHY layer models must accommodate properties of particular deployment scenario (Data Centre) Forward Error Correction (FEC) must be efficient to cope with varying Bit Error Rates (BER) at high speed transmission Media Access Control (MAC) to enable high throughput in deployed scenario. Technical Innovation Develop PHY layer models based on channel measurements Investigate suitable coding and modulation strategies for target scenario Design efficient FEC engine capable of supporting high speed data link layer throughput of up to 100 Gbps
Simulation Link Level Simulation PHY layer simulation Simulation of data rate and bit error rate RF impairments and radio channel taken into account d[k] channel encoder modulator sending filter channel y[k] channel decoder detector receiving filter System Level Simulation Simulation of throughput between racks in a Data Centre Network Volatile loads and time-variant information flow possible
Channel Characterisation sub-mm-wave Frontend Horn Antenna Radio Channel Measurement Measurement of the time-variant impulse response Measurement in realistic scenarios M-sequence UWB channel sounder at 300 GHz UWB Transmitter Sensor Node Absorber Rotation Unit Radio Channel Modelling Modelling of the radio channel Stochastic methods and ray tracing applied Models used in link level simulations
Device characterisation measurements CA: commercially available LB: laboratory-built DT: developed for TERAPOD
Environmental chamber for propagation measurements Schematic drawing of the environmental test chamber for THz transmission links Controlled humidity & temperature Acoustic & vibrational noise Adjustable path length using joinable sections of beam pipe Changeable wall linings: wholly absorbing (anechoic) partially reflecting/scattering (indoor walls) wholly reflecting (metallic)
Standardisation Contribution to international standards IEEE 802.15 IG THz Adopt Std. IEEE 802.15.3dTM-2017 and investigate further requirements World Radio Conference 2019 WRC-19 Technical input to the preparatory process of AI 1.15 at WRC-19 Development of a new standard in the area of device measurements
Project Details Coordinator: Dr. Alan Davy (Waterford Institute of Technology) 11 Partners (UK, Germany, Ireland, Spain, Portugal) 3.4 M 3 yr from 01-Sep-2017. www.terapod-project.eu @H2020Terapod This project has received funding from the European Union s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement 761579