A photonic generation and transmission system for millimetre-wave futuristic communications

Abstract

In this thesis, a fully millimetre-wave (mm-wave) generation and transmission system is proposed for futuristic communications. Significant challenges have been dealt with regarding the proposed system, including designing the mm-wave generation and transmission technique, and its application in cellular networks. These challenges are presented through five main contributions and validated via Optiwave Design Software and MATLAB simulation tools. Firstly, three novel photonic generation methods are proposed and designed based on the characteristics of Brillouin fibre laser and the Stimulated Brillouin Scattering (SBS) effects with phase modulation. The mm-wave carriers are successfully generated with a tuning capability from 5 to 90 GHz. Also, these carriers are with good Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) up to 51 dB, and low noise signal power of about -40 dBm. The impact of these methods is obtaining stable mm-waves appropriate for Radio over Fibre (RoF) transmission systems in 5G optical networks. Secondly, a full-duplex RoF system with the generation of a 64 GHz mm-wave is proposed. Successful transmission of the mm-wave over a fibre link is achieved for up to 100 km of fibre with a data rate of 5 Gbits/s. The main impact of this system is cost reduction and performance improvement by simplifying mm-wave generation and transmission over fibre. Also, it ensures a useful communication link for small cell networks. Thirdly, a hybrid Fibre/Free-space optical (FSO) system for the generation and transmission of 64 GHz mm-wave is proposed. This optical system provides a low latency communication link and overcomes mm-wave high path losses. A successful mm-wave transmission is achieved over a 10 km fibre length, and 2 km FSO link length with a good Bit Error Rate (BER) of about 1.5×10-13 and a data rate of 10 Gbits/s. This system increases the network coverage area by transmitting the mm-wave over the FSO link to the areas with natural obstacles the laying of fibre cables impossible. Also, it can be used as an effective solution under emergency disaster conditions. Fourthly, a comprehensive study of the wireless propagation performance for different mm-wave bands (28, 60, and 73 GHz) as cellular networks is investigated and compared with the 2.4 GHz Ultra-High Frequency band (UHF). A map-based scenario is proposed for the deployment of Base Stations (BSs) within the Brunel University London Campus map to consider real blockage effects. This investigation involved specifying which mm-wave spectrum can enhance the futuristic cellular networks, by evaluating the coverage and rate trends. Comparative results show that the 73 GHz bands can achieve the higher rate with good coverage and the lowest interference effects than the other mm-wave bands. Finally, a simplified path loss model is proposed to estimate precisely the 28 GHz mm-wave performance, which is considered a key component in 5G networks in outdoor applications. The proposed path loss model captures the diffraction and specular reflection impacts on mm-wave wireless propagation.