Photonic wideband array antennas |
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Authors: | Lee JJ Loo RY Livingston S Jones VI Lewis JB Huan-Wun Yen Tangonan GL Wechsberg M |
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Affiliation: | Hughes Aircraft Co., Los Angeles, CA; |
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Abstract: | Presents an introduction to the optical control of array antennas by using fiber optic links for remote control and a photonic time shift network for wide instantaneous bandwidth. An overview of the development of a wideband conformal array designed for airborne surveillance radars is given. The paper covers the system design and the performance of an L-band (850-1400 MHz) M-element array controlled by photonics. Packaging techniques of the photonic components and the array aperture are discussed. The wideband performance of the system is highlighted. A nano-second impulse response has been measured to demonstrate a 50% instantaneous bandwidth (550 MHz, 30 cm range resolution) for target ID and imaging. A built-in signal injection technique based on time-domain impulse measurement was used to calibrate the wideband components in the time-shift beamforming network |
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