volume | PIER Journals

Abstract

A new structure is suggested for simultaneous microwave chirped pulse generation and array antenna beam steering. It is based on using a multi-channel fiber Bragg grating in a photonic microwave delay-line filter. The paper presents a feasibility study of the idea, discussing the main performance parameters of both signal generation and beam steering functions. Specifically, it focuses on the effects of wavelength tuning, resolution and accuracy. The study shows that custom off-the-shelf components could be used to implement an all optical system capable of generating chirped pulses while steering the radiation pattern of a small sized antenna array. The advantages of the structure for avoiding single sideband modulation difficulties and also for the compensation of the multichannel fiber Bragg grating inaccuracies are also discussed.

1. Minasian, R. A., "Photonic signal processing of microwave signals," IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, Vol. 54, 832-846, 2006.
doi:10.1109/TMTT.2005.863060

2. Tonda-Goldstein, S., et al. "Optical signal processing in radar systems," IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, Vol. 54, 847-853, 2006.
doi:10.1109/TMTT.2005.863059

3. Ng, W., et al. "The first demonstration of an optically steered microwave phased array antenna using true-time-delay," Journal of Lightwave Technology, Vol. 9, 1124-1131, 1991.
doi:10.1109/50.85809

4. Wu, T. E. and C. Chandler, "Optical beam forming techniques for phased array antennas," Progress In Electromagnetics Research Symposium, 694, United States, 1993.

5. Meijerink, A. , et al. "Novel ring resonator-based integrated photonic beamformer for broadband phased array receive antennas --- Part I: Design and performance analysis," Journal of Lightwave Technology, Vol. 28, 3-18, 2010.
doi:10.1109/JLT.2009.2029705

6. Corral, J. L., et al. "Continuously variable true time-delay optical feeder for phased-array antenna employing chirped fiber grating," IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, Vol. 45, 1531-1536, 1997.
doi:10.1109/22.618471

7. Yang, B., X. F. Jin, X. M. Zhang, H. Chi, and S. L. Zheng, "Photonic generation of 60 GHz millimeter-wave by frequency quadrupling based on a mode-locking SOA fiber ring laser with a low modulation depth MZM," Journal of Electromagnetic Waves and Applications,, Vol. 24, No. 13, 1773-1782, 2010.

8. Yao, J., "Photonic generation of microwave arbitrary waveforms," Optics Communications, Vol. 284, 3723-3736, 2011.
doi:10.1016/j.optcom.2011.02.069

9. Corral, J., et al. "Dispersion-induced bandwidth limitation of variable true time delay lines based on linearly chirped fibre gratings," Electronics Letters, Vol. 34, 209-211, 1998.
doi:10.1049/el:19980164

10. Smith, G., et al. "Technique for optical SSB generation to overcome dispersion penalties in fibre-radio systems," Electronics Letters, Vol. 33, 74-75, 1997.
doi:10.1049/el:19970066

11. Dai, Y. and J. Yao, "Chirped microwave pulse generation using a photonic microwave delay-line filter with a quadratic phase response," IEEE Photonics Technology Letters, Vol. 21, 569-571, 2009.

12. Zeng, F. and J. Yao, "Investigation of phase-modulator-based all-optical bandpass microwave filter," Journal of Lightwave Technology, Vol. 23, 1721, 2005.
doi:10.1109/JLT.2005.844499

13. Dai, Y. and J. Yao, "Nonuniformly spaced photonic microwave delay-line filters and applications," IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, Vol. 58, 3279-3289, 2010.
doi:10.1109/TMTT.2010.2074570

Mr. Mostafa Shabani

Dr. Mahmood Akbari