Application of optical dispersion techniques in phased array antenna beam steering

Active phased array antennas play an important role in modern radar systems. This kind of antenna technique is a flexible way to apply electronic beam scanning in a wide angle range without the need for mechanical rotation of the antenna and easy spatial beam shaping, achieved by independent control of the transmitting elements. The paper describes the concept of an optoelectronic components application for the construction of a system targeted at steering a 16 element linear antenna. The concept of the steering system applies the dispersion phenomenon in single-mode optical fibres to obtain a tuned time delay of the microwave signals applied to the antenna elements. Very high resolution and an excellent accuracy of the antenna beam positioning have been achieved.