We report on an optical chip-to-chip interconnect solution, thereby demonstrating plasmonics as a solution for ultra-dense, high-speed short-reach communications. The interconnect comprises a densely integrated plasmonic Mach-Zehnder modulator array that is packaged with standard driving electronics. On the receiver side, a germanium photodetector array is integrated with trans-impedance amplifiers. A multicore fiber provides a compact optical interface to the array. We demonstrate 4 x 20 Gb/s on-off keying signaling with direct detection.

We demonstrate the first chip-to-chip interconnect utilizing a densely integrated plasmonic Mach-Zehnder modulator array operating at 3 × 10 Gbit/s. A multicore fiber provides a compact optical interface, while the receiver consists of germanium photodetectors.

Organic materials combined with strongly guiding silicon waveguides open the route to highly efficient electro-optical devices. Modulators based on the so-called silicon-organic hybrid (SOH) platform have only recently shown frequency responses up to 100 GHz, high-speed operation beyond 112 Gbit/s with fJ/bit power consumption. In this paper, we review the SOH platform and discuss important devices such as Mach-Zehnder and IQ-modulators based on the linear electro-optic effect. We further show liquid-crystal phase-shifters with a voltage-length product as low as VπL = 0.06 V·mm and sub-μW power consumption as required for slow optical switching or tuning optical filters and devices.

Silicon modulators are maturing and it is anticipated that they are going to substitute state-of-the art modulators. We review current silicon modulator approaches and then discuss the silicon-organic hybrid (SOH) approach in more detail. The SOH approach has recently enabled the operation with an energy consumption of 60 fJ/bit and demonstrated the generation of up to 112 Gbit/s per polarization in a compact silicon modulator of 1.5 mm length.

The combination of CMOS compatible Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI) fabrication technology with organic cover materials constitutes the Silicon-Organic Hybrid (SOH) fabrication platform, which shows innovative functionality for the making of integrated optical circuits. We report on experimental demonstrations of essential building blocks for transceivers, while relying only on well-known SOI processing steps and simple post processing of the organic materials.

In round-trip time-of-flight (RTOF) based radar systems, the position of the mobile station can be calculated by trilateration. However, it is possible that the spheres do not intersect due to noisy distance measurements. Hence, a different localization algorithm has to be applied. This paper compares the performance of a least-squares algorithm, a linear optimization algorithm and mass-spring models based on multipath simulation data. The mass-spring model has a shorter computation time as the least-squares algorithm (∼10 ms vs. ∼32 ms) and is as accurate as the least-squares algorithm. The number of available base stations and the placement of the base stations strongly influences the positioning accuracy. The simulated distances with multipath propagation have an accuracy of 17.2 cm. The 3D accuracy with 8 base stations (σx=8.9 cm, σy=9.9 cm, σz=14.5 cm) is better than the individual distance measurements.

This paper presents an indoor localization system based on a frequency modulated continuous wave radar in the industrial-scientific-medical band at 5.8 GHz. An integrated active pulsed reflector behaves as a backscatter by regenerating the incoming phase with phase coherent startup at a constant frequency. The base station (BS) determines the distance to this reflector with a round-trip time-of-flight measurement. The active pulsed reflector is built around a switchable and tunable oscillator. The circuit has been fully integrated in a 0.18-¿m CMOS technology. Outdoor measurements revealed a positioning accuracy of 15 cm, while in a harsh multipath environment with omnidirectional antennas a positioning accuracy of 32.88 cm was measured. The localization system is capable of detecting multiple reflectors at the same time, and no synchronization between BSs is needed.

This paper presents an integrated active pulsed reflector (APR) functioning as a backscatterer in a power efficient local positioning system using a frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar in the ISM band at 5.8 GHz. The APR is designed as a switchable, tunable oscillator and is integrated in a 0.18-mu m CMOS technology. The operating frequency of the APR can be tuned from 5.45 to 6.69 GHz, the output power is between 2.17 and 6.11 dBm and the matching is better than -9 dB over the complete tuning range. The active reflector including a low-frequency oscillator for modulation draws 46.2 mA from a 3.3 V power supply. The operation principle was verified and a measurement accuracy of 4.9 cm over a measurement range of 1.5 to 7.5 m was achieved neglecting multipath effects.

Traveling wave amplifiers (TWAs) offer the advantage of broadband amplification and a closed set of equations that allow deriving the RF gain by means of treating TWAs as discrete transmission line approximations. Up to now, however, the significant losses associated with CMOS integrated inductors have been neglected. This work presents a new approach for determining the transmission line losses and phase constants that will bring about an enhanced gain prediction accuracy. The theory is verified by means of a realized design example. The working principle of the integrated DC supply inductor is discussed, whose performance is based on the inductors self-resonance effect. When applying a supply voltage V dd of 2.4 V, the measured compression point P 1 dB and the power added efficiency PAE at 2.4 GHz amount to 16.9 dBm and 19.6%, respectively. At 5.5 GHz, a value of 16.6 dBm for P 1 dB and an associated PAE of 13.9% are achieved. The peak RF gain for these output power values reaches 11 dB, and values greater than 8 dB are obtained up to 7 GHz.

Present day power amplifier (PA) design struggles with the fact that applicable supply voltages are continuously shrinking for short channel MOS transistors, which makes reaching high output power values increasingly difficult. This work develops a Class AB PA with an optimized load impedance for maximum output power with the help of a systematic load- pull analysis. It will display necessary trade offs for optimum output power and small signal gain. The presented PA, realized in CMOS, shows a measured output power of 19.8 dBm at 5.8 GHz for a supply voltage of 1.9 V. The drain efficiency at the 1 dB compression point reaches 28.1 %, the highest report up to today for this output power level.

The aim of RESOLUTION project is developing of a wireless three-dimensional (3D) local positioning system with resolution in the centimetre regime and real-time ability. The system is intended to work in environment with strong multipath effects and fading. The solution will be implemented in advanced CMOS technology. Main project goals are: development of a wireless 3D high accuracy local positioning system, a novel frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar principle with pulsed active reflector will be employed, positioning system will be implemented on basis of common WLAN systems, to allow multifunctional tasks, highly integrated system on chip (SoC) frontends will be designed on advanced CMOS technology, smart power and adaptive performance control will be applied to minimize the power consumption according to application needs, in order to enhance the performance and coverage range, the transceiver features adaptive antenna combining in the radio frequency (RF) receiver.