From RADAR to NODAR

Photonics and nanotechnologies are emerging revolutionary technologies that will provide a revolution in the sectors of sensors and radar systems. SELEX Sistemi Integrati intends to face this evolution as a leader by proactively supporting and developing its state of the art. One century after the first RADAR ldquoideardquo we registered the NODAR (nanotechnology optical detection and ranging) trademark. Such NODAR, by including both photonic and nano technologies, aims to implement multifunctional, multirole, multidomain sensors, as well as adaptive, flexible, knowledge-based sensors. NODAR requires proactive studies and developments on: I) nanotechnology vacuum tube amplifiers (TX reverse nano triode); II) wide bandwidth Tx-Rx optical beam forming network by means of optical modulator, combiner, analogue optical receive and programmable true time delay; III) broadband photonic analogue to digital converters; IV) thermal management and interconnection by means of carbon nanotubes; V) nanotechnology infrared and chemical state of art sensors. Finally, the insertion of state of the art innovative technologies requires an integrated ldquomultiscalerdquo approach, by combining materials sciences, photonics, nanotechnologies and production technologies with other based technologies.