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Millimetre-wave generation by optical heterodyning in a 1.55 µm fibre-coupled travelling-wave (TW) photomixer has been demonstrated. The InP-based TW photomixer exhibits a DC responsivity of 0.43 A/W and a breakdown voltage in excess of 13 V. Ultra-broadband operation from 26 to 110 GHz was demonstrated with a record electrical output power of –21.5 dBm at 110 GHz.

A full-duplex millimetre-wave fibre optic system based on a high-speed electroabsorption transceiver (EAT) is proposed. Full-duplex fibre optic transmission of broadband (155.52 Mbit/s) 60 GHz-band millimetre-wave signals is experimentally demonstrated. Excellent transmission quality (BER < 10-9) is achieved for uplink and downlink transmission, simultaneously.

A photonic sub-millimetre (sub-mm) wave transmitter module has been developed and fabricated. The module consists of a 1.55 µm waveguide InP photodetector monolithically integrated with a planar full wave slot antenna and passive lowpass filter for DC bias supply. For the first time, optical heterodyne 460 GHz sub-mm signal generation is demonstrated. It is further shown that the module can effectively replace the classical solid-state oscillator of an astronomical superconductor-insulator-superconductor heterodyne receiver. The module generates sufficient sub-mm wave power to operate the receiver under optimum conditions.