5G RAN architecture based on analog radio-over-fiber fronthaul over UDWDM-PON and phased array fed reflector antennas

This manuscript introduces a 5G radio access network architecture concept based on ultra-dense wavelength division multiplexing (UDWDM) and incorporating an optical fronthaul network that uses a novel wireless antenna system for radio frequency transmission and reception. A ring topology is proposed where optical signals travel within the 5G UDWDM passive optical networks and millimeter waves are generated in the optical line terminals by optical heterodyning. The wireless transmission of the millimeter waves is conducted by an innovative phased array fed reflector antenna approach for mobile communications that grants high antenna gain due to highly focused radiation characteristics, as well as multiplexing gain by multiple beam generation. Furthermore, beam steering is provided by a radio frequency analog beamformer network. Finally, implementation options synthesizing the total system are discussed.

[1]  Stefan Parkvall,et al.  NR - The New 5G Radio-Access Technology , 2017, 2018 IEEE 87th Vehicular Technology Conference (VTC Spring).

[2]  H. Rezig,et al.  Design of temperature-strain tunable UDWDM, DWDM, WDM FBG filter for Passive Optical Network Access , 2008, 2008 2nd ICTON Mediterranean Winter.

[3]  Zhong Fan,et al.  Emerging technologies and research challenges for 5G wireless networks , 2014, IEEE Wireless Communications.

[4]  I. Tafur Monroy,et al.  Bidirectional K-Band Photonic/Wireless Link for 5G Communications , 2019, 2019 44th International Conference on Infrared, Millimeter, and Terahertz Waves (IRMMW-THz).

[5]  Masamichi Fujiwara,et al.  Increasing splitting ratio of 10Gb/s-class PONs by using FW-DMF that acts as low loss splitter for upstream and conventional splitter for downstream , 2014, OFC 2014.

[6]  A. B. Smolders,et al.  Single shot DoA estimation for large-array base station systems in multi-user environments , 2017 .

[7]  Jong Hyun Lee,et al.  Demonstration of IFoF based 5G mobile fronthaul in 28 GHz millimeter wave testbed supporting giga-bit mobile services , 2017, 2017 Optical Fiber Communications Conference and Exhibition (OFC).

[8]  J. R. Forrest,et al.  Satellite communications II: Television for everyone: Low-cost Earth stations that can select from a broad menu of satellite broadcasts are sought , 1980, IEEE Spectrum.

[9]  Thomas Südmeyer,et al.  Laser linewidth optimization in a feedback loop , 2017, 2017 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics Europe & European Quantum Electronics Conference (CLEO/Europe-EQEC).

[10]  Sudhakar K. Rao.  Advanced Antenna Technologies for Satellite Communications Payloads , 2006, IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation.

[11]  G. Gerini,et al.  Double-Reflector Configuration for Optimal Exposure of Wideband Focal-Plane Arrays With Optical Beamforming , 2017, IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation.

[12]  Klaus Grobe,et al.  Wavelength Division Multiplexing: A Practical Engineering Guide , 2013 .

[13]  Hao Gao,et al.  Building 5G Millimeter-Wave Wireless Infrastructure: Wide-Scan Focal-Plane Arrays With Broadband Optical Beamforming , 2019, IEEE Antennas and Propagation Magazine.

[14]  Jarosław P. Turkiewicz,et al.  Reconfigurable Radio Access Unit for DWDM to W-Band Wireless Conversion , 2017, IEEE Photonics Technology Letters.

[15]  Idelfonso Tafur Monroy,et al.  W-band photonic-wireless link with a Schottky diode envelope detector and bend insensitive fiber. , 2016, Optics express.

[16]  Christos V. Verikoukis,et al.  Quality of Service Provisioning in High-Capacity 5G Fronthaul/Backhaul Networks , 2017, IMCL.

[17]  Jeongho Park,et al.  Random access in millimeter-wave beamforming cellular networks: issues and approaches , 2015, IEEE Communications Magazine.

[18]  Jie Zhang,et al.  Phase noise reduction by optical phase-locked loop for a coherent bichromatic laser based on the injection-locking technique. , 2018, The Review of scientific instruments.

[19]  Yong-Zhen Huang,et al.  Dual-Mode Microcavity Semiconductor Lasers , 2019, IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics.

[20]  Klaus Grobe,et al.  Combined reach, client-count, power-consumption, and cost analysis of WDM-based Next-Generation PON , 2011, 2011 37th European Conference and Exhibition on Optical Communication.

[21]  S. Tanaka,et al.  Prototype of a dual-circularly polarized parabolic reflector antenna with microstrip antenna array for 12-GHz band satellite broadcasting reception , 2016, 2016 10th European Conference on Antennas and Propagation (EuCAP).

[22]  Paul E. Green.  Fiber to the home: the next big broadband thing , 2004, IEEE Communications Magazine.

[23]  M V Ivashina,et al.  An Optimal Beamforming Strategy for Wide-Field Surveys With Phased-Array-Fed Reflector Antennas , 2011, IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation.

[24]  Idelfonso Tafur Monroy,et al.  Analog Radio Over Fiber Fronthaul for High Bandwidth 5G Millimeter-Wave Carrier Aggregated OFDM , 2019, 2019 21st International Conference on Transparent Optical Networks (ICTON).

[25]  Jianjun Yu,et al.  8$\,\times\,$9.95-Gb/s Ultra-Dense WDM-PON on a 12.5-GHz Grid With Digital Pre-Equalization , 2013, IEEE Photonics Technology Letters.

[26]  Michael Cooley,et al.  Phased Array Fed Reflector (PAFR) antenna architectures for space-based sensors , 2015, 2015 IEEE Aerospace Conference.

[27]  Raul Muñoz,et al.  High-Capacity 5G Fronthaul Networks Based on Optical Space Division Multiplexing , 2019, IEEE Transactions on Broadcasting.

[28]  R. M. C. Mestrom,et al.  A Shared Aperture Dual-Frequency Circularly Polarized Microstrip Array Antenna , 2013, IEEE Antennas and Wireless Propagation Letters.

[29]  Chung G. Kang,et al.  MIMO-OFDM Wireless Communications with MATLAB , 2010 .

[30]  Idelfonso Tafur Monroy,et al.  Towards high capacity and low latency backhauling in 5G: The 5G STEP-FWD vision , 2017, 2017 19th International Conference on Transparent Optical Networks (ICTON).

[31]  K. Williams,et al.  Microwave photonics , 2002 .

[32]  Richard V. Penty,et al.  Novel WDM-PON System with Shared Wavelength Locking and Full C-Band Tunability , 2014 .

[33]  Vittorio M. N. Passaro,et al.  Future Scenarios for Software-Defined Metro and Access Networks and Software-Defined Photonics , 2017 .

[34]  A.W. Rudge,et al.  Offset-parabolic-reflector antennas: A review , 1978, Proceedings of the IEEE.

[35]  Idelfonso Tafur Monroy,et al.  Reconfigurable radio access unit to dynamically distribute W-band signals in 5G wireless access networks , 2017, Opt. Switch. Netw..

[36]  Holger Claussen,et al.  Small cell backhaul: challenges and prospective solutions , 2015, EURASIP J. Wirel. Commun. Netw..

[37]  C. Beckman,et al.  The Evolution of Base Station Antennas for Mobile Communications , 2007, 2007 International Conference on Electromagnetics in Advanced Applications.

[38]  Daniel Minoli.  Satellite Systems Engineering in an IPv6 Environment , 2009 .

[39]  A. B. Smolders,et al.  On the use of focal-plane arrays in mm-wave 5G base stations , 2018 .

[40]  Sien Chi,et al.  Simple 14-Gb/s Short-Range Radio-Over-Fiber System Employing a Single-Electrode MZM for 60-GHz Wireless Applications , 2010, Journal of Lightwave Technology.

[42]  Karri Ranta-aho,et al.  Spectrum for 5G: Global Status, Challenges, and Enabling Technologies , 2018, IEEE Communications Magazine.

[43]  Idelfonso Tafur Monroy,et al.  Performance Evaluation of Wavelet-Coded OFDM on a 4.9 Gb/s W-Band Radio-Over-Fiber Link , 2017, Journal of Lightwave Technology.

[44]  Sofie Verbrugge,et al.  Next-generation optical access seamless evolution: concluding results of the European FP7 Project OASE , 2015, IEEE/OSA Journal of Optical Communications and Networking.

[45]  Yoshitaka Shibata,et al.  Design of a low-loss low-noise tapered slot phased array feed for reflector antennas , 2010, Proceedings of the Fourth European Conference on Antennas and Propagation.

[46]  Gee-Kung Chang,et al.  Cost-Effective Mobile Backhaul Network Using Existing ODN of PONs for the 5G Wireless Systems , 2015, IEEE Photonics Journal.

[47]  Nikola Alic,et al.  Flex-grid compatible ultra wide frequency comb source for 31.8 Tb/s coherent transmission of 1520 UDWDM channels , 2014, OFC 2014.

[48]  John B. Shoven,et al.  I , Edinburgh Medical and Surgical Journal.