Microwave photonic devices or change the future of microwave communications

The “National Basic Research Project of Microwave Photonic Devices and Integrated Systems for Broadband Ubiquitous Access” is a national 973 project that focuses on three scientific issues such as the high-bandwidth switching mechanism, high-precision control methods, and highly flexible collaborative mechanisms under microwave photonic interactions. Major breakthroughs have been made in the mechanism of microwave photonics, key devices and prototype systems, providing corresponding theoretical and technical support for future development.

In terms of "high bandwidth", the research team revealed the enhancement mechanism and characteristics of the optical response of new materials. For the first time, it was found that two-dimensional materials such as graphene have similar saturable absorption characteristics as microwaves and can be used to achieve higher bandwidth. Modulators, related achievements were reported by foreign media and considered to be "the rise of graphene in microwave photonics", "may change the future of microwave communications"; invented an inverted trapezoidal waveguide structure, conquered high bandwidth, narrow linewidth, and Key technologies such as tuning, high frequency stabilization, and successful development of the world's leading 30GHz analog direct modulation semiconductor laser. In terms of “high-precision”, the research team developed a microwave-assisted photonic integrated chip with an accuracy of 2.2MHz and a range of 112GHz, leading the performance index; realizing ultra-broadband microwave ultra-wideband fine-tuning and large dynamic ultra-wideband stable phase microwave light transmission. In terms of “high flexibility”, in the face of the common problem of broadband ubiquitous access, the research team first proposed the C-RoFlex model based on software-defined unified scheduling and function virtualization of microwave lightwave resources; the coverage L/S/Ku was developed. / Ka and sub-channel bandwidth 15-120MHz flexible variable microwave photonic flexible satellite transponder prototype; construct a distributed large dynamic and cooperative intelligent optical carrier radio (I-ROF) prototype system and research platform.

The innovative achievements such as “broadband integration, stable phase transmission, and multi-frequency reconstruction” obtained in this project were collected in the X-band X-band beacon signal, the orbit monitoring of the Beidou navigation high-orbit satellite, and the microwave photon flexible satellite transponder. The project was verified and applied.