Overcoming Resolution and Bandwidth limIT in radio-frequency Signal digitisation (ORBITS)
Lead Research Organisation:
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON
Department Name: Electronic and Electrical Engineering
Abstract
Analogue-to-digital converters (ADCs) are the essential links between physical world in which all signals are 'analogue' (e.g., electric current generated by a microphone or a picture captured by a mobile phone camera) and the digital world of '0s' and '1s', where we store, transmit and process signals and information. ADCs enable (digital) computers to process signals from the (analogue) physical world. This capability has revolutionised our entire society, making computers (desk-tops, lap-tops, or smartphones) ubiquitous. In recent years, we have witnessed a dramatic increase of the amount of information that is generated, stored, transmitted, and processed, driven by increased demand of our society on data and information and newly emerging applications such as virtual and augmented reality. All this information needs to be processed by ADCs, which can address the abovementioned need only when performing with better accuracy, affordable power consumption, in real-time (with low latency), and for increasingly broader bandwidth (faster) signals. This is extremely challenging with currently-existing technologies and is being vigorously pursued by both academia and industry. Most of these approaches are based on strategies like the use of application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), photonic time stretch, or time interleaving. Unfortunately, all of these approaches seem to have formidable challenges. A clearly realisable route to next-generation ADCs that could support information growth in the next decade and beyond is currently lacking.
ORBITS aims to provide a radically novel and future-growth-proof solution to ADCs using optical assisted means. Specifically, it will exploit unique features of recently-emerged optical and photonics technologies, including optical frequency combs, coherent optical processing, and precise optical phase control. Optics offers three orders of magnitude larger bandwidth than microwave electronics used for ADCs today and has the advantages of ultrafast (femtosecond level) responses. The optical frequency comb technologies, in conjunction with coherent optical processing and phase control, enables dividing signal with high accuracy in the optical domain, which overcomes the fundamental limits such as timing jitter (time uncertainty) in conventional approaches, opening up a scalable and integratable technology for large bandwidth high resolution ADCs.
For practical (low-cost when volume-manufactured, compact, and low-power-consuming) implementation, ORBITS will investigate optical and electronic integration, which permit to harness merits across different photonics integration platforms, through collaborations and open foundries. Besides next-generation ADCs, ORBITS will study applications in future-proof high capacity optical and wireless communications. It assembles complementary expertise from top research groups in Universities and companies, aiming for a wide academic impact and a straightforward knowledge transfer to industry.
ORBITS aims to provide a radically novel and future-growth-proof solution to ADCs using optical assisted means. Specifically, it will exploit unique features of recently-emerged optical and photonics technologies, including optical frequency combs, coherent optical processing, and precise optical phase control. Optics offers three orders of magnitude larger bandwidth than microwave electronics used for ADCs today and has the advantages of ultrafast (femtosecond level) responses. The optical frequency comb technologies, in conjunction with coherent optical processing and phase control, enables dividing signal with high accuracy in the optical domain, which overcomes the fundamental limits such as timing jitter (time uncertainty) in conventional approaches, opening up a scalable and integratable technology for large bandwidth high resolution ADCs.
For practical (low-cost when volume-manufactured, compact, and low-power-consuming) implementation, ORBITS will investigate optical and electronic integration, which permit to harness merits across different photonics integration platforms, through collaborations and open foundries. Besides next-generation ADCs, ORBITS will study applications in future-proof high capacity optical and wireless communications. It assembles complementary expertise from top research groups in Universities and companies, aiming for a wide academic impact and a straightforward knowledge transfer to industry.
Organisations
- UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON (Lead Research Organisation)
- Fraunhofer Society (Collaboration)
- BT Group (Collaboration)
- University College London (Collaboration)
- Keio University (Collaboration)
- Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (Collaboration)
- University of Bern (Collaboration)
- Technical University of Denmark (Collaboration)
- Sun Yat-sen University (Project Partner)
- Fraunhofer Institute (Project Partner)
- Microsoft Research Limited (Project Partner)
- Aston University (Project Partner)
- Socionext Europe GmbH (Project Partner)
- University of Southampton (Project Partner)
- Nokia (Project Partner)
- Hewlett-Packard Limited (Project Partner)
Publications
Cai Y
(2023)
On the noise scaling of parametric frequency combs
in IET Conference Proceedings
Cai Y
(2023)
On the design of low phase noise and flat spectrum optical parametric frequency comb
in APL Photonics
Clark K
(2023)
Clock synchronizing radio access networks to picosecond precision using optical clock distribution and clock phase caching
in Journal of Optical Communications and Networking
Clark K
(2022)
Modeling the Performance of the Clock Phase Caching Approach to Clock and Data Recovery
in Journal of Lightwave Technology
Clark K.A.
(2019)
Low thermal sensitivity hollow core fibre for optically-switched data centre applications
in IET Conference Publications
Deakin C
(2024)
Energy Efficiency Bounds for Photonic Analog to Digital Converters
in Journal of Lightwave Technology
| Description | Analogue-to-digital converters that convert analog current or voltage to digital bits of '0s' and '1s' is the gateway of our digital world, as it is fundamentally limited by timing jitter and transistor speed. Through our research, we establish the theoretical framework and experimentally demonstrate a pathway towards future high-speed, high-resolution digitizers that overcome the fundamental limitations in conventional all-electronic ADC architecture. We show that by using a dual-frequency comb, with careful design of optical power, phase noise, coherence and receiver design, more than 45dB signal-to-noise and distortion ratio (SINAD) over more than 40GHz bandwidth can be achieved using optical means. Our research has a direct impact on instrumentation and communication technologies. Besides the main finding, the project has developed many building block technologies that underpin ICT and other fields that require high-quality signal generation and detection. During the extension of the project, we have actively engaged EU and UK partners in developing new programmes to explore the high-resolution dual-comb receiver's application in 6G communications and medical imaging. This has led to new applications in medical imaging and industrial metrology, sparking an impact in the medical science and manufacturing sectors. |
| Exploitation Route | IPs generated in this project can be licenced to communication instrument manufacturers. Building block technologies and measurement methods seeds other research and development activities using frequency comb and dual-comb as a mean for precise measurement. |
| Sectors | Aerospace Defence and Marine Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software) Electronics Healthcare Manufacturing including Industrial Biotechology |
| Description | Here, we summarise the main findings and how they have been used. 1. new design of cavityless frequency comb with low phase noise, tuneable spacing and robust to temperature variation. This new design enables powerful dual-comb spectroscopy with a tuneable repetition rate. This new type of sensing and detection method is being increasingly exploited in new medical imaging and industrial metrology, with applications ranging from tumour classification, colorectal cancer detection, consumer electronics manufacturing, and laser welding. 2. new dual comb design with minimum relative phase noise. The new finding points a new direction to the scaling of phase noise in dual-comb, critical for parallel sensing and ranging based on frequency combs, with applications inc. comb LIDAR, parallel photoacoustic sensing. 3. new receiver design and the noise limit in practice. The new receiver design gives high SNR and high common-mode rejection that ultimately enhances signal-to-noise ratio in digitization. The receiver can be used for various applications in its own right, such as telecommunications, sensing, and analog-to-digital conversion. 4. A new DSP design is needed to enable signal synthesis with a high signal-to-noise ratio. This outcome forms the basis of high spectral efficiency optical and wireless communication using super-channel - a technique that stitches multiple independent channels to form a wide-band channel with high SNR. This results in more effective ways to overcome the capacity crutch results from fibre and component nonlinearity, paving the way for high capacity and intelligent networks for future telecom. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2024 |
| Sector | Aerospace, Defence and Marine,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Electronics,Healthcare |
| Impact Types | Societal Economic |
| Description | Consultancy for UK defence solution centre |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
| Description | 6G-Multiband Wireless and Optical Signaling for Integrated Communications, Sensing and Localization |
| Amount | € 4,900,000 (EUR) |
| Funding ID | 101139176 |
| Organisation | European Commission |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | Belgium |
| Start | 01/2024 |
| End | 12/2026 |
| Description | Bridging Optoelectronics and Nonlinear fibre physics to Develop a new frequency comb tool for eye imagING |
| Amount | £15,250 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | BB/X005100/1 |
| Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 08/2022 |
| End | 09/2023 |
| Description | Development of a pre-commercialisation frequency comb prototype for cloud data centre networks and metro telecom systems |
| Amount | £87,321 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | D2U 2020-22 |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2021 |
| End | 03/2022 |
| Description | National Time Centre |
| Amount | £244,176 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Innovate UK |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 08/2023 |
| End | 03/2024 |
| Description | UK - Switzerland Bilateral: Collaborative R&D |
| Amount | £174,088 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Innovate UK |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2024 |
| End | 12/2025 |
| Title | Atomic clock and time server for NDFF |
| Description | Establish a time server in the National Dark Fibre Facility (NDFF) at Telehouse and a Csm atomic clock at UCL, opening new avenues to enhance NDFF for clock and time network. |
| Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
| Year Produced | 2024 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | The new tool will open new opportunities to use NDFF as a timing network for research and development of fibre-based clock and timing technologies. This addresses the research need for precise timing for 6G and national critical infrastructure. |
| Title | Communications with Guaranteed Low Latency and Bandwidth using Frequency Referenced Multiplexing |
| Description | This is the dataset for Communications with Guaranteed Low Latency and Bandwidth using Frequency Referenced Multiplexing |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| URL | https://rdr.ucl.ac.uk/articles/dataset/Communications_with_Guaranteed_Low_Latency_and_Bandwidth_usin... |
| Title | Communications with Guaranteed Low Latency and Bandwidth using Frequency Referenced Multiplexing |
| Description | This is the dataset for Communications with Guaranteed Low Latency and Bandwidth using Frequency Referenced Multiplexing |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| URL | https://rdr.ucl.ac.uk/articles/dataset/Communications_with_Guaranteed_Low_Latency_and_Bandwidth_usin... |
| Title | Data for "All-fibre heterogenously-integrated frequency comb generation using silicon core fibre" |
| Description | Experimental data used in published version of [Sohanpal, R., Ren, H., Shen, L. et al. All-fibre heterogeneously-integrated frequency comb generation using silicon core fibre. Nat Commun 13, 3992 (2022)]. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| URL | https://rdr.ucl.ac.uk/articles/dataset/Data_for_All-fibre_heterogenously-integrated_frequency_comb_g... |
| Title | Data supporting the paper "Modeling performance of the clock phase caching approach to clock and data recovery" |
| Description | This data was used to plot the figures in the final accepted version of "Modeling performance of the clock phase caching approach to clock and data recovery" hosted on UCL Discovery. The full published version of this paper may be found in the Journal of Lightwave Technology at 10.1109/jlt.2021.3130955. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| URL | https://rdr.ucl.ac.uk/articles/dataset/Modeling_The_Performance_of_the_Clock_Phase_Caching_Approach_... |
| Title | Dataset for Low-latency Wavelength-switched Clock-synchronized Data Centre Interconnects enabled by Hollow Core Nested Antiresonant Nodeless Fiber |
| Description | The uploaded file is the dataset for our manuscript named: "Low-latency Wavelength-switched Clock-synchronized Data Centre Interconnects enabled by Hollow Core Nested Antiresonant Nodeless Fiber", which is accepted for publication in Optics Express. The data is generated through rigorous optical data transmission and optical component characterization experiment. The experimental set-up was built and tested in 2022. MATLAB is used to further process the captured data. The data uploaded is used to plot figures in the submitted manusciprt. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| URL | https://rdr.ucl.ac.uk/articles/dataset/Low-latency_Wavelength-switched_Clock-synchronized_Data_Centr... |
| Title | Low-latency Wavelength-switched Clock-synchronized Data Centre Interconnects enabled by Hollow Core Nested Antiresonant Nodeless Fiber |
| Description | The uploaded file is the dataset for our manuscirpt named: "Low-latency Wavelength-switched Clock-synchronized Data Centre Interconnects enabled by Hollow Core Nested Antiresonant Nodeless Fiber", which is submitted and under review. The data is generated through rigorous optical data transmission and optical component characterization experiment. The experimental set-up was built and tested in 2022. MATLAB is used to further process the captured data. The data uploaded is used to plot figures in the submitted manusciprt. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| URL | https://rdr.ucl.ac.uk/articles/dataset/Low-latency_Wavelength-switched_Clock-synchronized_Data_Centr... |
| Title | Low-latency Wavelength-switched Clock-synchronized Data Centre Interconnects enabled by Hollow Core Nested Antiresonant Nodeless Fiber |
| Description | The uploaded file is the dataset for our manuscirpt named: "Low-latency Wavelength-switched Clock-synchronized Data Centre Interconnects enabled by Hollow Core Nested Antiresonant Nodeless Fiber", which is submitted and under review. The data is generated through rigorous optical data transmission and optical component characterization experiment. The experimental set-up was built and tested in 2022. MATLAB is used to further process the captured data. The data uploaded is used to plot figures in the submitted manusciprt. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| URL | https://rdr.ucl.ac.uk/articles/dataset/Low-latency_Wavelength-switched_Clock-synchronized_Data_Centr... |
| Title | Modeling The Performance of the Clock Phase Caching Approach to Clock and Data Recovery |
| Description | Optical switching could enable data center networks to keep pace with the rapid growth of intra-data center traffic, however, sub-nanosecond clock and data recovery time is crucial to enabling optically-switched data center networks to transport small packet dominated data center traffic with over 90% efficiency. The paper to which this dataset belongs reviews the clock-synchronized approach to clock and data recovery, which enables sub-nanosecond switching time in optically switched networks. The paper then introduce an analytical model to mathematically explore the operation of clock phase caching, and uses this model to explore the impact of factors such as fiber temperature, clock jitter and symbol rate on the BER and clock and data recovery locking time performance of the clock phase caching approach, as well as their impact on scalability. Using commercial data center parameters matching those used in our previous experimental research, our paper shows that our analytical model provides estimates that closely match our previous experimental results, validating its use for making predictions of the performance of clock phase cached systems. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| URL | https://rdr.ucl.ac.uk/articles/dataset/Modeling_The_Performance_of_the_Clock_Phase_Caching_Approach_... |
| Description | ACTPHAST4R: Collaboration with Fraunhofer HHI on PIC based coherent transmitter development |
| Organisation | Fraunhofer Society |
| Department | Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute |
| Country | Germany |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We design the photonic integrated circuit (PIC) and will test the performance of the PIC. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Fraunhofer HHI offered us MPW and packaging service for the development of InP based coherent super-channel transmitter for high-resolution signal generation and detection. |
| Impact | The device is still being manufactured. Further report will be updated. |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | Collaboration with University of Bern on coherent supercontinuum comb generation |
| Organisation | University of Bern |
| Department | Institute of Applied Physics |
| Country | Switzerland |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | In collaboration with researchers at the University of Bern, we develop fibre systems to significantly increase our frequency comb bandwidth from 10 nm to more than 100nm while still keeping low phase and intensity noise. The work leads to a travel grant funded by BBSRC for workshop, joint experiments and strategic partnerships. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Dr Heidt at the University of Bern developed a simulation framework using our frequency comb signal and supported the development of the fibre system for frequency comb expansion with high coherence. |
| Impact | Publications Benefits of cascaded nonlinear dynamics in hybrid fibers for low-noise supercontinuum generation, Optics Express, DOI: 10.48350/178809 Sohanpal, R., Ren, H., Shen, L. et al. All-fibre heterogeneously-integrated frequency comb generation using silicon core fibre. Nat Commun 13, 3992 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-31637-1 |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | Comb for OCT collaboration with moorfield eye hospital |
| Organisation | Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Through bi-lateral visits, seminars and discussions with Prof. Marinko Sarunic's group at Moorfield Eye Hospital, we identify common interests and routes for experimental verification of the application of ultra-broadband comb for ophthalmology. We clearly designed and identified a route to the wavelength, converting our current comb source to 780nm, which is preferred for ophthalmology. This is an active collaboration enabled by this grant, and we are working on follow-up funding, joint PhD studentship and collaborative experiments. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Access to state-of-the-art OCT imaging system at Moorfield Eye Hospital. Staff time for discussion and collaboration grant and joint experiments. |
| Impact | on-going. Currently we have submitted a joint grant and a joint PhD studentship. |
| Start Year | 2024 |
| Description | Inter-disciplinary reserach on dual-comb optical coherent tomogrphy |
| Organisation | Technical University of Denmark |
| Country | Denmark |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Develop ultra-wideband coherent frequency comb and dual-comb source for spatial-offset OCT. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Host our visit and develop a suitable spatial-offset OCT system working at a 1550nm centred wavelength region. |
| Impact | This is a new ongoing collaboration. Currently, we are working on preliminary results and applying for new funding from European Commission. |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | Inter-disciplineary collaboration on frequency comb assisted photoacoustic imaging |
| Organisation | University College London |
| Department | Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We introduce the idea of a frequency comb into photoacoustic imaging to address the obstacles of measurement speed, with a potential reduction of imaging time by a factor of 100 to improve patient experience and imaging quality significantly. By introducing our linewidth and phase noise measurement expertise, we have identified a new direction for parallel photoacoustic imaging, together with the Photoacoustic Imaging group at UCL Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering Department. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The partner contributes to the medical imaging part of the research and develops recipes and sensors suitable for the collaboration work. |
| Impact | Mulit-disciplinary between medical science and electronic engineering. David Martin-Sanchez, Edward Z. Zhang, Jake Paterson, James A. Guggenheim, Zhixin Liu, and Paul C. Beard, "Laser frequency noise characterization using high-finesse plano-concave optical microresonators," Opt. Lett. 49, 678-681 (2024) D. Martin-Sanchez, E. Z. Zhang, Z. Liu, J. A. Guggenheim, and P. C. Beard, "Limits of high-Q optical resonator sensors for photoacoustic imaging," in Biophotonics Congress: Biomedical Optics 2022 (Translational, Microscopy, OCT, OTS, BRAIN), Technical Digest Series (Optica Publishing Group, 2022), paper OS3D.3. |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | Partnership with BT on ultra-stable comb development for clock and RF carrier synchronised wireless system in 6G |
| Organisation | BT Group |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Develop testbed and evaluate the performance of ultra-stable signal disseminated for precise positioning, cooperative radio sensing and high-capacity wireless transmission in 6G. |
| Collaborator Contribution | BT provides access to its ultra-stable clock and optical sources. They also develop direct fibre link to UCL for field trial. |
| Impact | This is a new collaboration. Ongoing work is expected to lead to publications in future. |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | Zhixin Liu_Collaboration with KEIO university |
| Organisation | Keio University |
| Country | Japan |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | collaboration on power of fibre for radio access networks and high precision signal transmission |
| Collaborator Contribution | Researcher and academic came to visit and joint experiments. Hosting UCL researchers and PI for joint work. |
| Impact | on-going collaboration, currently one joint journal paper submitted. |
| Start Year | 2024 |
| Title | OPTICAL FREQUENCY COMB GENERATION APPARATUS AND METHOD |
| Description | Frequency combs have found applications in numerous fields, for example, metrology, spectroscopy, microwave electronics, sensing, medical imaging, instrumentation, wireless and optical communications. For example, in the field of optical communications, significant cost and energy savings can be made by replacing a bank of N lasers (for example N=64, but N can be several hundred) with a single frequency comb. The coherent nature of the comb lines (phase of comb tones are correlated) as well as the equal frequency spacing of the comb tones, offers the prospect of ultra-high spectral efficiency (thus high capacity, fast networks), and the generation of electronic radio-frequency carriers with high purity, for linking optical systems to wireless systems. In many applications, the comb source needs to have sufficiently high optical power, low noise, and flat spectrum (i.e. similar power for all the tones) to enable these benefits to be achieved. There is a problem with generating a frequency comb with these properties, such as a large number of tones, each with adequate and similar optical power, over a relatively wide band of frequencies. It can also be a problem to generate a comb that is tunable in wavelength, bandwidth, and tone spacing. The present invention has been devised in view of the above problems. |
| IP Reference | 2212004.2 |
| Protection | Patent / Patent application |
| Year Protection Granted | |
| Licensed | No |
| Impact | No commercial impact yet. However, as a new tool it has potential impact in metrology, spectroscopy, sensing and microwave applications, |
| Title | OPTICAL LOCKING UNIT |
| Description | We invent a new methods and apparatus for optical locking that facilitate the generation of low noise RF and/or mm-wave generation. Such locking mechanisms may address noise limitations in conventional electronics, including one or more of the issues discussed above. Such methods and apparatus for optical locking may provide performance improvements in applications including wireless radio systems, precision radar systems, electronic instruments, wireless communication equipment. |
| IP Reference | |
| Protection | Patent / Patent application |
| Year Protection Granted | 2024 |
| Licensed | No |
| Description | Airbus engagement and seminar |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Presentation to Airbus about research progress to explore potential in satellite communications. Disseminating research outputs on ultra-low noise signal generator and its potential to SATCOM. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Frequency comb workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Give invited talk and participate in expert symposia in FreQcomb workshop. My talk influenced people's view and opinion about coherent tuneable frequency comb and how they can be used in communication and precision measurement. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Initiate new collaboration with Verizon Ltd. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Initiate a new collaboration discussion with Verizon |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Invited presentaiont at IEEE summer topical 2023 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Invited talk on the application of ultra stable laser, with a focus on the impact of phase noise on photonic-assisted digitization. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.ieee-sum.org/ |
| Description | Invited talk in IEEE Summer Topicals |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | more than 30 professionals attended this online international conference |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Invited talk in IEEE photonics conference (PIC2021) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | 30 professionals and postgraduate students attended the talk |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Joint research, lab visit and seminar at NICT |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Joint experiments at NICT in Japan followed by seminar and presentation about comb and comb-based long-haul transmission, facilitating mutual understanding for further collaboration and bi-lateral visit |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| Description | NPL visit and seminar |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Visit to NPL utlra-stable laser group, quantum group, and time and frequency group, where Dr Zhixin Liu gave seminars about frequency comb, Dr Kari Clark gave seminar about clock synchronization and dark fibre networks, resulted in fruitful discussions about potential collaboration and new research direction. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Organise ECOC workshop on frequency comb for optical communications |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Organise workshop at the European Conference of Optical Communications (ECOC) 2023 in Glasgow. The workshop invited experts in both academia and industry to discuss and debate the role of optical frequency comb in long-haul optical communications and short-reach intra-data centre interconnections. The highly successful workshop sparked discussion and established mutual understanding between academia and industry, fostering direction for future comb technology and transceiver development for optical communications. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Qualcomm talk and discussion |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | seminar to Qualcomm about low noise signal generator and its potential for wireless communications. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Rohde & Schwarz engagement and seminar |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Formal visit to Rohde & Schwarz headquarter and factory, where Dr Zhixin Liu gave introduction of UCL research, UCL ICCS, and key research outputs in optical and mm-wave communications. This later results in high level engagement by UCL vice provost to visit R&S and discuss strategical partnership between UCL and R&S with EVP Dr Christina Gessler |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Seminar for DTU Electronics and Photonics researchers |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Seminar given to researchers at DTU Electronics and Photonics, fostering new collaboration, debate and research concepts. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Seminar for DTU Healthcare Technologies |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Purpose: About 40 professionals attended the seminar about cavity-less frequency comb and its application. Discussed scientific questions and collaborations. Outcomes or impact: New collaboration with DTU Healthcare Technology Department |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Seminar given to CUHK researchers at EE and IE. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Seminar given at CUHK faculty of engineering. Discussion and debate with researchers from Electronic Engineering and Information Engineering, fostering bi-lateral visit and new collaborations. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Visit and Seminar at Chalmers Advanced Photonic Technology Centre |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Two days visit to Chalmers for discussion and workshop, where Dr Zhixin Liu gave seminars and had one-to-one discussion with academics and students about research directions and technologies related to phase locking and mm-wave. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Visit and workshop at NTT research |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Visit to NTT research for workshop and Dr Zhixin Liu's seminar about progress on UCL photonic-assisted signal processing research and its application in optical and wireless communications. Establishing new collaboration with NTT. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| Description | Workshop and seminar at KEIO University |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | 8 academics and 20 undergraduate and postgraduate students attended workshop and the Dr Zhixin Liu's keynote seminar at KEIO university in Japan. Engaged KEIO future photonics open lab, including joint research, lab visits, individual meeting and guest seminars. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| Description | seminar at Chalmers University |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | seminar at Chalmers University on precision clock synchronization and combs for data centre interconnects, sparking discussion and ideas about collaborations. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |