Integrated E-band photoreceiver module for wideband (71–76GHz) wireless transmission

In this paper, we report on a novel photonic integrated 70 GHz band (71-76 GHz) photoreceiver module featuring a 1.55 μm double-waveguide photodiode (PD) implemented with a planar bias-T, a low-noise amplifier (LNA), a high-power amplifier (HPA) and a grounded coplanar waveguide (GCPW) to WR-12 rectangular waveguide transition. The photoreceiver module is hybrid integrated on a low-loss laminate subcarrier. The developed InP-based double-waveguide PD exhibits an ultra-flat frequency response with a maximum deviation of only ±0.4 dB over the entire frequency band of interest from 71-76 GHz. Within that frequency range, the PD delivers output power levels in excess of -20 dBm to 50 Ω already at low photocurrent levels of only ~5 mA. This is sufficient for reaching the +17.5 dBm saturation output power level of the HPA, since the total gain of the LNA and the HPA is about 37 dB. The output return loss of the PD with integrated GCPW is measured to be ~23 dB. The input return loss of the GCPW-to-WR-12 transition is determined to be in the order of ~20 dB within the 70 GHz band. In addition to the technological and experimental achievements, we also present a system approach for wideband photonic wireless transmission within the E-band (60-90 GHz).