The mmWave signal source, reimagined with integrated photonics.
Widely tunable, ultra-low-phase-noise mmWave signal generators spanning 1–300 GHz in a compact, integrated form factor.
01About
A UCL spin-out turning a decade of photonics research into the millimetre-wave signal source the industry genuinely needs.
Signal generators are central to 6G, satellite communications, and test & measurement systems. Existing purely electronic solutions require bulky frequency multiplication stages to meet demand, entailing large SWAP, limited frequency tuning range, and noise which degrades non-linearly with each additional multiplication stage. We're changing that with photonics.
UCL-born. Industry-focused.
Nibras was founded by four co-founders from UCL's Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, with over 20 years' combined experience in photonics and RF engineering. The technology is backed by over £2m in research funding, top-tier publications, and live demonstrations to leading satellite, telecom and test & measurement companies. We are part of ChipStartUK's Cohort 4, the UK's leading photonics and compound semiconductor incubator, and supported by the Royal Academy of Engineering.
Why now.
6G spectrum allocation, LEO constellation expansion and electronically steerable phased arrays have created urgent demand for signal sources that cover wide frequency ranges without retuning hardware. Nibras sits at exactly this intersection.
1–300GHz
Continuous frequency tuning
12fs
Jitter at 170 GHz, beating high-end electronic synthesisers
938Gb/s
Wireless OFDM throughput demonstrated
145GHz
Bandwidth in a single wireless system
02Technology
Photonic mmWave generation, from chip to system.
We design photonic integrated circuit (PIC) based mmWave generators using mass-manufacturable multi-project wafer technology. Our devices produce low-phase-noise, widely tuneable signals by heterodyning two optical carriers on a high-speed photodetector, translating the coherence of a narrow-linewidth laser directly into microwave spectral purity.
01
Wide tuneability
Continuous frequency tuning across multiple mmWave bands from a single integrated device, eliminating the need for band-specific hardware.
02
Ultra-low phase noise
Photonic generation inherits the spectral purity of optical references, delivering phase noise floors inaccessible to conventional electronic VCOs and PLLs at mmWave frequencies.
03
Integrated form factor
Chip-scale integration reduces size, weight and power relative to benchtop synthesiser architectures, enabling deployment in space, airborne and portable platforms.
Applications
6G and beyond-5G base station and backhaul
LEO satellite payload signal generation
Test and measurement: mmWave signal generators, vector network analysers, signal analysers
03Product
The integrated Photonic Signal Generator.
04Research
Published, peer-reviewed and demonstrated.
05Team
Integrated photonics, RF, and communications expertise, all under one roof.
Team
Mentors
06Contact
Let's talk about your signal chain.
Whether you're exploring a collaboration, evaluating our technology for your application, or simply want to learn more, we'd love to hear from you.
