Design considerations for photonically integrated antennas [Application Notes]

It is generally well accepted that photonic technology, along with the low-loss, electromagnetic interference (EMI)-free and wide bandwidth signal transport of optical fiber, offers the potential for providing new capabilities, significant performance improvements, as well as design flexibility to analog radio frequency (RF) and microwave systems. The growing spectral demands of current defense systems and new technology opportunities such as high data rate wireless communications offer the possibility of photonics seeing significant technology insertion opportunities in the near as well as the far future.