Abstract: An electronic device may include a photonics-based phased antenna array that conveys wireless signals at frequencies greater than 100 GHz. In a transmit mode, the array may transmit signals using the first and second optical signals. In a receive mode, the array may receive signals using the optical signals. In a passive mode, the array may reflect incident wireless signals as reflected signals. Photodiodes in the array may be controlled to exhibit output impedances that are mismatched with respect to input impedances of radiating elements in the array. Different mismatches can be used across the array or as a function of time to impart different phase and/or frequency shifts on the reflected signals. The phase shifts may be used to encode information into the reflected signals and/or to form a signal beam of the reflected signals.

Abstract: An electronic device may include wireless circuitry clocked using an electro-optical phase-locked loop (OPLL) having primary and secondary lasers. A frequency-locked loop (FLL) path and a phase-locked loop (PLL) path may couple an output of the secondary laser to its input. A photodiode may generate a photodiode signal based on the laser output. A digital-to-time converter (DTC) may generate a reference signal. The FLL path may coarsely tune the secondary laser based on the photodiode signal until the secondary laser is frequency locked. Then, the PLL path may finely tune the secondary laser based on the reference signal and the photodiode signal until the phase of the secondary laser is locked to the primary laser. The photodiode signal may be subsampled on the PLL path. This may allow the OPLL to generate optical local oscillator signals with minimal jitter and phase noise.

Abstract: A communication system may an optical signal generator and a signal path. The generator may generate one or more optical local oscillator (LO) signals and an optical frequency comb. Optical paths and an optical demultiplexer may distribute the optical LO signal(s) and the frequency comb to photodiodes in one or more access points. The photodiodes may be coupled to antenna radiating elements. The optical paths may illuminate each photodiode using a signal pair that includes one of the optical LO signals and one of the carriers from the frequency comb. The photodiodes may convey wireless signals using the antenna radiating elements at frequencies given by the differences in frequency between the signals in the signal pairs. The radiating elements may concurrently convey the wireless signals with different external devices at different frequencies, with different devices at the same frequency, and/or with the same device at the same frequency.

Abstract: An electronic device may include a fully-connected photonic phased antenna array having a set of antennas, each with an antenna resonating element coupled to a set of photodiodes. Optical modulators may receive different wireless data streams and may generate modulated signals. Optical paths may provide the modulated signals generated by each modulator to a different photodiode in each antenna. Sets of optical phase shifters may apply different sets of phase shifts for each of the modulated signals. Optical paths may provide the phase shifted signals to the photodiodes in the antennas. The photodiodes may produce currents that are superposed on the antenna resonating elements. Each antenna may be used to concurrently convey all of the wireless data streams. The phase shifts may configure the array to transmit signals that include the wireless data streams within different respective signal beams.

Abstract: An electronic device may include a receiver having a light source that provides an optical signal to an optical splitter. An optical combiner may be coupled to the optical splitter over a set of parallel optical paths. A phased antenna array may have a set of antennas disposed on the optical paths. Each antenna may include an optical modulator disposed on a respective one of the optical paths and an antenna resonating element coupled to the modulator. Incident radio-frequency signals may produce electrical signals on the antenna resonating elements. Optical phase shifters may provide optical phase shifts to the optical signal. The modulators may modulate the optical local oscillator signal using the electrical signals. The optical combiner may generate a combined signal by combining modulated optical signals from the optical paths. A demodulator may recover wireless data from the radio-frequency signals using the combined signal.

Abstract: An electronic device may include an antenna that conveys wireless signals at frequencies greater than 100 GHz. The antenna may include a radiating element coupled to a uni-travelling-carrier photodiode (UTC PD). An optical path may illuminate the UTC PD using a first optical local oscillator (LO) signal and a second optical LO signal. An optical phase shift may be applied to the first optical LO signal. A Mach-Zehnder modulator (MZM) may be interposed on the optical path. During signal transmission, the MZM may modulate wireless data onto the second optical LO signal while control circuitry applies a first bias voltage to the UTC PD. During signal reception, the control circuitry may apply a second bias voltage to the UTC PD that configures the UTC PD to convert received wireless signals into intermediate frequency signals and/or optical signals.

Abstract: An electronic device may include a photonics-based phased antenna array that conveys wireless signals at frequencies greater than 100 GHz. In a transmit mode, the array may transmit signals using the first and second optical signals. In a receive mode, the array may receive signals using the optical signals. In a passive mode, the array may reflect incident wireless signals as reflected signals. Photodiodes in the array may be controlled to exhibit output impedances that are mismatched with respect to input impedances of radiating elements in the array. Different mismatches can be used across the array or as a function of time to impart different phase and/or frequency shifts on the reflected signals. The phase shifts may be used to encode information into the reflected signals and/or to form a signal beam of the reflected signals.

Abstract: An electronic device may include wireless circuitry that conveys radio-frequency signals at frequencies greater than or equal to 100 GHz using first and second optical local oscillator (LO) signals generated by clocking circuitry. The clocking circuitry may include a first laser that generates the first optical LO signal and a second laser that generates the second optical LO signal. First and second self-injection locking loop paths may be coupled around the first and second lasers respectively. The first loop path may include a first mixer, an optical reference, and a second mixer. The second loop path may include a photodiode, the first mixer, and the optical reference. The photodiode may provide a radio-frequency signal to the mixers. The optical reference may include an optical delay line or resonator and may reduce phase noise of optical signals used to self-injection lock the first and second lasers.

Abstract: The present application relates to devices and components related to a direct detection and photonics receiver.

Abstract: A clock generator can include a Fin Field Effect Transistor (FinFET) oscillator and a phased-locked loop (PLL). The FinFET oscillator can generate a FinFET signal. The PLL can generate an output clock signal based on a reference clock signal and the FinFET signal.

Abstract: An electronic device may include clocking circuitry with primary and secondary lasers that generate first and second optical local oscillator (LO) signals. A phase-locked loop (PLL) may tune the secondary laser based to phase lock the first and second optical LO signals. A self-injection locking loop path may couple an output of the secondary laser to its input. The self-injection locking loop path may include a first mixer and a second mixer. The first mixer may generate a beat signal using the first and second optical LO signals. The second mixer may generate a self-injection locking signal based on the first optical LO signal and the beat signal. A delay line or optical resonator may iteratively self-inject the self-injection locking signal onto the secondary laser. This may serve to minimize phase noise and jitter of the optical LO signals.

Abstract: An electronic device may include wireless circuitry with light sources, a set of photodiodes, a resonating element, and a common gate amplifier (CGA). In a transmit mode, the photodiodes may use optical local oscillators to generate equal portions of an antenna current amplified by the CGA for transmission by the resonating element. In a receive mode, the resonating element may generate an antenna current which is amplified by the amplifier and passed to the photodiodes. Including multiple photodiodes coupled to the amplifier in a current sharing configuration may serve to boost power. The amplifier may exhibit a wide bandwidth, may perform impedance matching between the resonating element and the photodiodes, and may isolate the photodiodes from antenna mismatch. The antenna may be integrated into a phased antenna array to further boost power.

Abstract: A clock generator can include a Fin Field Effect Transistor (FinFET) oscillator and a phased-locked loop (PLL). The FinFET oscillator can generate a FinFET signal. The PLL can generate an output clock signal based on a reference clock signal and the FinFET signal.

Abstract: An electronic device may include light sources that generate first and second optical signals. An array may include antennas arranged in rows and columns. First paths may be coupled to each row of the array and second paths may be coupled to each column of the array. First phase shifters may be disposed on the first paths and second phase shifters may be disposed on the second paths. The first phase shifters may apply respective phase shifts to the first optical signal to produce shifted signals for each row. The second phase shifters may apply respective phase shifts to the second optical signal to produce shifted signals for each column. Each antenna may convey wireless signals based on the shifted signals provided to its row and column. Sharing phase shifters in this way may allow the array to perform beam steering while minimizing the number of phase shifters.

Abstract: An electronic device may include wireless circuitry clocked using an electro-optical phase-locked loop (OPLL) having primary and secondary lasers. A frequency-locked loop (FLL) path and a phase-locked loop (PLL) path may couple an output of the secondary laser to its input. A photodiode may generate a photodiode signal based on the laser output. A digital-to-time converter (DTC) may generate a reference signal. The FLL path may coarsely tune the secondary laser based on the photodiode signal until the secondary laser is frequency locked. Then, the PLL path may finely tune the secondary laser based on the reference signal and the photodiode signal until the phase of the secondary laser is locked to the primary laser. The photodiode signal may be subsampled on the PLL path. This may allow the OPLL to generate optical local oscillator signals with minimal jitter and phase noise.

Abstract: A communication system may an optical signal generator and a signal path. The generator may generate one or more optical local oscillator (LO) signals and an optical frequency comb. Optical paths and an optical demultiplexer may distribute the optical LO signal(s) and the frequency comb to photodiodes in one or more access points. The photodiodes may be coupled to antenna radiating elements. The optical paths may illuminate each photodiode using a signal pair that includes one of the optical LO signals and one of the carriers from the frequency comb. The photodiodes may convey wireless signals using the antenna radiating elements at frequencies given by the differences in frequency between the signals in the signal pairs. The radiating elements may concurrently convey the wireless signals with different external devices at different frequencies, with different devices at the same frequency, and/or with the same device at the same frequency.

Abstract: The present application relates to devices and components including apparatus, systems, and methods for high-throughput, low-power signaling.

Abstract: The present application relates to devices and components related to a direct detection and photonics receiver.

Abstract: An electronic device may include an antenna that conveys wireless signals at frequencies greater than 100 GHz. The antenna may include a radiating element coupled to a uni-travelling-carrier photodiode (UTC PD). An optical path may illuminate the UTC PD using a first optical local oscillator (LO) signal and a second optical LO signal. An optical phase shift may be applied to the first optical LO signal. A Mach-Zehnder modulator (MZM) may be interposed on the optical path. During signal transmission, the MZM may modulate wireless data onto the second optical LO signal while control circuitry applies a first bias voltage to the UTC PD. During signal reception, the control circuitry may apply a second bias voltage to the UTC PD that configures the UTC PD to convert received wireless signals into intermediate frequency signals and/or optical signals.

Abstract: An electronic device may include a photonics-based phased antenna array that conveys wireless signals at frequencies greater than 100 GHz. In a transmit mode, the array may transmit signals using the first and second optical signals. In a receive mode, the array may receive signals using the optical signals. In a passive mode, the array may reflect incident wireless signals as reflected signals. Photodiodes in the array may be controlled to exhibit output impedances that are mismatched with respect to input impedances of radiating elements in the array. Different mismatches can be used across the array or as a function of time to impart different phase and/or frequency shifts on the reflected signals. The phase shifts may be used to encode information into the reflected signals and/or to form a signal beam of the reflected signals.