Monolithically silicon photonic integrated transceiver for microwave and optical dual-band beamforming and free-space communications

Monolithically silicon photonic integrated transceiver for microwave and optical dual-band beamforming and free-space communications | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Physical Sciences - Article Monolithically silicon photonic integrated transceiver for microwave and optical dual-band beamforming and free-space communications Jianping Yao, Ruiqi Zheng, Jingxu Chen, Jinkun Hu, Haikun Huang, and 6 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7472760/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Future space-terrestrial networks demand integrated solutions combining the all-weather reliability of microwave communications with the ultra-high capacity of near-infrared optical links. However, monolithic integration of these complementary technologies, essential for compact and robust satellite payloads, remains a critical challenge. Here, we propose and experimentally demonstrate the world’s first monolithically integrated silicon photonic chip capable of microwave and near-infrared beamforming and dual-band free-space microwave and optical communications. The chip combines a microwave true time delay (TTD) beamforming network, an optical phased array (OPA) beamforming network, and an optical coherent transceiver. By integrating the high reliability of microwave communications, the wide bandwidth of near-infrared transmission, and the high sensitivity of optical coherent detection, this integrated circuit addresses key challenges in space-terrestrial networks, offering interference-resistant, high-capacity links for moving platforms. The chip is fabricated on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) platform and experimentally evaluated. Experimental results demonstrate that the chip enables both microwave and optical two-dimensional dynamic beam steering, with microwave beam scanning over 24.9°×18.5° and optical beam scanning over 10°×4.7°. In a 5 m free-space communication link, it achieves error-free transmission at 10 Gb/s in the microwave band and 80 Gb/s per wavelength in the near-infrared band. The results validate the strong performance of the chip for dual-band microwave and optical communications. Physical sciences/Optics and photonics/Applied optics/Microwave photonics Physical sciences/Engineering/Electrical and electronic engineering Dual-band microwave near-infrared band microwave beamforming network optical phase array Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Supplementary Files SupplementaryDualbandcommunicationPIC.pdf Supplementary info Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7472760","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Physical Sciences - Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":550719112,"identity":"d0045170-d514-445c-8e59-53727b3b4da8","order_by":0,"name":"Jianping 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