RF photonics: Status, challenges and opportunities

RF photonics has long been recognized as a key enabling technology for wideband antenna front-ends. RF photonic front-end processors have always provided bandwidth, but recent advances have shown dynamic range at high sensitivity as well. Continued advances in broadband link/processor performance as well as cost reduction are needed to maintain advantage over competing electronic front-end solutions. As photonics begin to creep into RF system architectures, more processing functionality can be expected. Until that time comes, RF photonics will remain a niche antenna technology along transmit and receive RF chains.