Hybrid fiberoptic-millimeter-wave links

Abstract

Combining fiberoptics for point-to-point communication and millimeter waves for short-range wireless communication simultaneously provides fast data rates, high security levels, and mobility. The article describes the system architecture, including some of the key design tradeoffs that have been and are currently being considered, and the demonstration/validation (DEMVAL) results. Highlights of the progress include the transmission of data, digital video, and voice from a fixed computer terminal to a portable/wearable computer over the hybrid fiberoptic/millimeter-wave link. These results demonstrate system architecture proof-of-concept as well as significant risk reduction in critical subsystems.