Silicon Photonic Radar Transmitter IC
This chip represents the world's first optoelectronic millimeter-wave radar transmitter integrated circuit (IC) for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) imaging radar, developed using silicon photonics technology. The MIMO radar system architecture, in which these ICs will be deployed, utilizes an optically distributed local oscillator (LO) over fiber to enable coherent operation of millimeter-wave transceiver frontends. The optoelectronic transmitter frontend IC integrates all necessary electronic and photonic components to receive the optical LO signal and generate a millimeter-wave transmit signal. It is compatible with both 1310-nm and 1550-nm LO wavelengths. The chip was designed using a pre-production photonic SiGe BiCMOS technology from IHP.
Reference:
S. Kruse, S. Gudyriev, T. Schwabe, P. Kneuper, H. G. Kurz and J. C. Scheytt, "Silicon Photonic Radar Transmitter IC for mm-Wave Large Aperture MIMO Radar Using Optical Clock Distribution," in IEEE Microwave and Wireless Components Letters, vol. 31, no. 6, pp. 783-786, June 2021, doi: 10.1109/LMWC.2021.3062112.
Silicon Photonic Radar Receiver IC
This chip is the world's first optoelectronic mm-wave radar receiver IC for MIMO imaging radar in silicon photonics technology. An optically distributed clock over fiber enables coherent operation of multiple transceiver frontends, enhancing aperture size and angular resolution. The receiver frontend IC integrates all necessary electronic and photonic components for optical clock reception, RF signal processing, and IQ downconversion to baseband. It supports 1310-nm and 1550-nm optical clock wavelengths and is implemented in IHP’s pre-production photonic 250-nm SiGe BiCMOS technology.
Reference
S. Kruse et al., "Silicon Photonic Radar Receiver IC for mm-Wave Large Aperture MIMO Radar Using Optical Clock Distribution," in IEEE Microwave and Wireless Components Letters, vol. 32, no. 12, pp. 1447-1450, Dec. 2022, doi: 10.1109/LMWC.2022.3186432.