An optically controlled microwave phase shifter based on self-heterodyning technique using chirped fiber gratings and an optical frequency shifter

A novel optically controlled microwave phase shifter based on self-heterodyne technique using chirped fiber gratings (CFG´s) and optical frequency shifter (OFS) is demonstrated experimentally. The phase shifter is able to provide a wide bandwidth and beam scanning capability over a wide angle. Calculated results of an investigation into the beam scanning properties of a nine-element phased array antenna at 5 and 40 GHz are presented. Performance at 5 GHz of the optically controlled phase shifter based on the CFG´s and an OFS was measured. Agreement between the measured phases and those evaluated from the group delay properties of the CFG´s was very good