Periodic Reporting for period 2 - TERAWAY (Terahertz technology for ultra-broadband and ultra-wideband operation of backhaul and fronthaul links in systems with SDN management of network and radio resources)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2021-05-01 do 2023-08-31
Next generations of wireless transport systems will require more spectrum to be allocated to keep pace with the demands generated by the evolving digitalization of societies and the advent of 6G. Regulatory bodies and industry players are already looking to standardize and exploit the portion of electromagnetic spectrum beyond 90 GHz for telecommunication purposes.
TERAWAY is a Research and Innovation Action, and comes as a technology-intensive project aiming at developing a new generation of photonic-based THz transceivers exploiting Terahertz (THz) wireless communication technology and the abundance of bandwidth offered by carrier frequencies in the sub-THz and THz regime.
In this respect, optical concepts and photonic integration techniques implemented for the fabrication and integration/assembly of innovative PICs that will enable the development of low footprint, multiband, multi-channel transceivers, operating seamlessly across W-, D- and THz-bands. In parallel, a new software defined networking (SDN) controller and radio-based network slicing tools developed for the management of the network, following the typical requirements set by modern reference management and orchestration architectures, such as 5G, demonstrating the possibility of the direct integration of the newly developed, next generation THz transceivers into the mobile network.
By its completion, TERAWAY was able to progress and overcome significant technical challenges and moved a step forward to the integration of photonic technology in the future wireless communication system.
TERAWAY is a Research and Innovation Action, and comes as a technology-intensive project aiming at developing a new generation of photonic-based THz transceivers exploiting Terahertz (THz) wireless communication technology and the abundance of bandwidth offered by carrier frequencies in the sub-THz and THz regime.
In this respect, optical concepts and photonic integration techniques implemented for the fabrication and integration/assembly of innovative PICs that will enable the development of low footprint, multiband, multi-channel transceivers, operating seamlessly across W-, D- and THz-bands. In parallel, a new software defined networking (SDN) controller and radio-based network slicing tools developed for the management of the network, following the typical requirements set by modern reference management and orchestration architectures, such as 5G, demonstrating the possibility of the direct integration of the newly developed, next generation THz transceivers into the mobile network.
By its completion, TERAWAY was able to progress and overcome significant technical challenges and moved a step forward to the integration of photonic technology in the future wireless communication system.
The main technical achievements of TERAWAY can be summarized as follows:
WP2:The system requirements for the wireless Point-to-Point transport between fixed sites, application scenario of TERAWAY system defined. TERAWAY system architecture (Fig. 1) designed. The transceiver modules designs have been produced and the assemble/packaging processes have been defined. Updated simulations studies were carried out to assess the system performance, and beamforming algorithms and distance measuring method developed. Finally, a 3D ray tracing tool, simulating the propagation of THz links in 3D environments developed and calibrated using experimental data.
WP3:The design and fabrication of all photonic components that conform the hybrid PICs of TERAWAY modules completed. The PolyBoards, the InP modulator chips, the InP THz emitters and receivers and the SiN-based optical beamforming networks (Fig.2) have been developed. The development of the PolyBoards which enabled the hybrid integration of PICs with an on-chip fully-integrated injection locking scheme of several optical signals (Fig.3) the demonstration of a full-photonic THz I/Q receiver, 2D THz antenna array Tx chips and the development of ultra-low-power PZT activators on TriPleX are considered as key milestones in the applicability of photonic integration in the coming generations of wireless transceivers.
WP4:Transimpedance amplifiers (TIAs) with beyond the current state-of-the-art performance -noise current <3 pA/sqrt(Hz), gain of > 45 dB-Ω up to 20 GHz) developed. The individual component interfaces, and device interconnections of TERAWAY modules defined. 3D models of the modules developed and thermo-mechanical stability studies performed. All three targeted TERAWAY transceivers, and fiber-pigtailed modules assembled and packaged (Fig.4).
WP5: 3GPP network slicing architecture implemented and validated. GUI implemented on top of slice management system for user friendly slice assignment to devices. End-to-End slices successfully tested with off-the-shelf mobile phones connected to O-RAN base stations from different vendors, and NETCONF transport controller interacting with commercial radio modules and TERAWAY modules.
WP6:The Baseband/IF Unit, interfacing with the TERAWAY optical transceivers, processing the baseband signal and mitigate the impairments induced by the optical/wireless channel designed, implemented and tested. Electronic units for controlling the optical part of the Tx/Rx PICs, developed and successfully integrated to the transceivers. Furthermore, a high-level controller following the 5G architecture including user friendly graphical interface to create, manage and allocate slices to mobile devices developed.
WP7: Testing procedures in the different development phases defined and TERAWAY developments alongside the two core technological axes incrementally tested.
The full end-to-end system tested with the TERAWAY radio part -employing the fiber-pigtailed modules integrated with the developed BIU and CEU units-, CMC 5G core and network slice manager and O-RAN base station. A fully heterodyne real-time wireless THz link based on photonic technologies, with total throughput of 8Gb/s, transmitting and receiving in real-time 1.6 GBaud signals and supporting 32-QAM modulation format (at 120 GHz), successfully established, and integrated into a 5G network.
WP8: A complete techno-economic analysis around the major aspects and application requirements impacting the future exploitation of TERAWAY within a P2P wireless x-Haul connectivity between fixed mobile access sites in public and private network scenario, defined. The consolidated exploitation strategy for TERAWAY defined, and the foreseen business models for the main reference cases analysed. All partners defined their individual exploitation and business plans. IPR worldwide monitored and evaluated. Dissemination activities have maximized the visibility of the project. 33 publications acknowledging TERAWAY have been submitted to prestigious journals and conferences and two patents filled in.
WP2:The system requirements for the wireless Point-to-Point transport between fixed sites, application scenario of TERAWAY system defined. TERAWAY system architecture (Fig. 1) designed. The transceiver modules designs have been produced and the assemble/packaging processes have been defined. Updated simulations studies were carried out to assess the system performance, and beamforming algorithms and distance measuring method developed. Finally, a 3D ray tracing tool, simulating the propagation of THz links in 3D environments developed and calibrated using experimental data.
WP3:The design and fabrication of all photonic components that conform the hybrid PICs of TERAWAY modules completed. The PolyBoards, the InP modulator chips, the InP THz emitters and receivers and the SiN-based optical beamforming networks (Fig.2) have been developed. The development of the PolyBoards which enabled the hybrid integration of PICs with an on-chip fully-integrated injection locking scheme of several optical signals (Fig.3) the demonstration of a full-photonic THz I/Q receiver, 2D THz antenna array Tx chips and the development of ultra-low-power PZT activators on TriPleX are considered as key milestones in the applicability of photonic integration in the coming generations of wireless transceivers.
WP4:Transimpedance amplifiers (TIAs) with beyond the current state-of-the-art performance -noise current <3 pA/sqrt(Hz), gain of > 45 dB-Ω up to 20 GHz) developed. The individual component interfaces, and device interconnections of TERAWAY modules defined. 3D models of the modules developed and thermo-mechanical stability studies performed. All three targeted TERAWAY transceivers, and fiber-pigtailed modules assembled and packaged (Fig.4).
WP5: 3GPP network slicing architecture implemented and validated. GUI implemented on top of slice management system for user friendly slice assignment to devices. End-to-End slices successfully tested with off-the-shelf mobile phones connected to O-RAN base stations from different vendors, and NETCONF transport controller interacting with commercial radio modules and TERAWAY modules.
WP6:The Baseband/IF Unit, interfacing with the TERAWAY optical transceivers, processing the baseband signal and mitigate the impairments induced by the optical/wireless channel designed, implemented and tested. Electronic units for controlling the optical part of the Tx/Rx PICs, developed and successfully integrated to the transceivers. Furthermore, a high-level controller following the 5G architecture including user friendly graphical interface to create, manage and allocate slices to mobile devices developed.
WP7: Testing procedures in the different development phases defined and TERAWAY developments alongside the two core technological axes incrementally tested.
The full end-to-end system tested with the TERAWAY radio part -employing the fiber-pigtailed modules integrated with the developed BIU and CEU units-, CMC 5G core and network slice manager and O-RAN base station. A fully heterodyne real-time wireless THz link based on photonic technologies, with total throughput of 8Gb/s, transmitting and receiving in real-time 1.6 GBaud signals and supporting 32-QAM modulation format (at 120 GHz), successfully established, and integrated into a 5G network.
WP8: A complete techno-economic analysis around the major aspects and application requirements impacting the future exploitation of TERAWAY within a P2P wireless x-Haul connectivity between fixed mobile access sites in public and private network scenario, defined. The consolidated exploitation strategy for TERAWAY defined, and the foreseen business models for the main reference cases analysed. All partners defined their individual exploitation and business plans. IPR worldwide monitored and evaluated. Dissemination activities have maximized the visibility of the project. 33 publications acknowledging TERAWAY have been submitted to prestigious journals and conferences and two patents filled in.
TERAWAY succeeded in implementing and integrating into a 5G network a real-time, adaptive and error-free communication link that can operate in W, D and THz bands, empowered by the TERAWAY photonic solution. More specifically, it was experimentally demonstrated a real-time, wireless sub-THz link employing a purely photonic architecture, transmitting signals, with modulation formats up to 32 QAM at a fixed symbol rate of 1.6 GBaud.
The TERAWAY photonic-based transceivers introduced a number of key innovations in the area of photonic and mmW/THz convergence, among which the development of a fully-photonic mmW/THz receiver based on photonic integration, the demonstration of a fully-photonic mmWave/THz transmitter, showcased the ability of the developed photonic solutions to interconnect with RF-based electronic units, the co-integration of photonic functionalities with mmWave/THz components, through the hybrid-integration of three major photonic platforms (Polymers, InP and Si3N4), the development of a higher-level orchestrator/slicing manager able to control the full end-to-end service scope applying standardized slicing management functionality and the development of the Network Slice Management Subsystem for Transport management (NSMS-TP)- compliant with 3GPP standard, along with a vendor-specific function for the Radio Network Subnet Slice Manager Service.
The developments accomplished within TERAWAY constitute a key step towards the integration of photonic technology in the future wireless communication system and are expected to have a direct impact on the EU Photonics industry, and to unlock the commercialization potential of the hybrid platform and photonic-based transceivers operating in the W/D and THz-band, creating new market opportunities and business growth.
The TERAWAY photonic-based transceivers introduced a number of key innovations in the area of photonic and mmW/THz convergence, among which the development of a fully-photonic mmW/THz receiver based on photonic integration, the demonstration of a fully-photonic mmWave/THz transmitter, showcased the ability of the developed photonic solutions to interconnect with RF-based electronic units, the co-integration of photonic functionalities with mmWave/THz components, through the hybrid-integration of three major photonic platforms (Polymers, InP and Si3N4), the development of a higher-level orchestrator/slicing manager able to control the full end-to-end service scope applying standardized slicing management functionality and the development of the Network Slice Management Subsystem for Transport management (NSMS-TP)- compliant with 3GPP standard, along with a vendor-specific function for the Radio Network Subnet Slice Manager Service.
The developments accomplished within TERAWAY constitute a key step towards the integration of photonic technology in the future wireless communication system and are expected to have a direct impact on the EU Photonics industry, and to unlock the commercialization potential of the hybrid platform and photonic-based transceivers operating in the W/D and THz-band, creating new market opportunities and business growth.