A Converged Optical and mm-Wave, Dual-band, Multi-beam Rotman Lens Antenna System Enabling Simplified Designs of 5G/mmW Base Stations and Network Densification

The current state of the 5G/mmW (mmWave) wireless base stations makes network densification a challenging task. Its complex design, requires a large quantity of complex beam-forming systems, processing components, etc. which when integrating at the system level limits the bandwidth of operation of the beam-forming capabilities. In this effort, a converged optical and mmW system with modulation in the optical domain, simultaneous operation at multiple bands, and multiple beams at-a-time is presented for the simplification of the base station design, through the use of a dual-band Rotman lens antenna system. Error-free over-the-air transmission of 0.930 Gbit/s of total throughput is presented with the proposed dual-band Rotman lens antenna system and a receiver antenna for a proof-of-concept prototype system.