Optical techniques to control a phased array antenna

Аuthors

Bratchikov A. N., Gordeichuk D. V., Orlov A. P.

Moscow Aviation Institute (National Research University), 4, Volokolamskoe shosse, Moscow, А-80, GSP-3, 125993, Russia

Abstract

Current status and perspectives for active phased array antenna control using fiber-optic and optoelectronic technologies are discussed. The antenna array considered is designed to radiate electromagnetic waves in super-high frequency (SHF) and millimeter wave bands. Two approaches are considered for phased array antenna control. The first approach is based on optical technique implementing traditional method of optical aperture generation using controlled optical time-delay circuits. Systems caused with the second approach intensively use hybrid coherent optical processors with no necessity to compute, generate and control phase or delay of SHF-signal for each antenna array oscillator in a real time mode. Traditional technique of aperture synthesis by field phasing for each oscillator in phased array antenna is replaced within the second approach by holographic generation of required gain-phase distributions.