Title :
Steering of an optically driven true-time delay phased-array antenna based on a broad-band coherent WDM architecture
Author :
Taylor, Robert ; Forrest, Stephen
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Electr. Eng., Princeton Univ., NJ, USA
Abstract :
Performance of a six-channel (delay) three-antenna element coherent optically driven phased-array antenna which transports true-time delays from the controller to the antenna site over 4.4 km of single-mode fiber (SMF) are presented. We demonstrate accurate true-time delay and beam steering from 0.8-1.5 GHz. Wide bandwidth intermediate frequency (IF) filters are used to minimize the phase-to-intensity noise, resulting in a single-channel signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and dynamic range of 49 (dB-MHz) and 94 (dB-Hz)/sup 2/3/, respectively. Additionally, using up-conversion at the antenna site, true-time delays at frequencies up to 18.3 GHz are demonstrated.
Keywords :
antenna phased arrays; broadband networks; delays; optical communication equipment; optical noise; phase noise; wavelength division multiplexing; 0.8 to 1.5 GHz; 18.3 GHz; 4.4 km; IF filters; antenna site; beam steering; broad-band coherent WDM architecture; dynamic range; optically driven true-time delay phased-array antenna steering; phase-to-intensity noise; single-channel signal-to-noise ratio; single-mode fiber; six-channel delay three-antenna element; true-time delay; up-conversion; wide bandwidth intermediate frequency filters; Bandwidth; Beam steering; Delay; Frequency; Optical control; Optical fiber filters; Optical filters; Optical noise; Phase noise; Signal to noise ratio;
Journal_Title :
Photonics Technology Letters, IEEE
