Radio astronomical phased arrays with fiber-optic design architecture

Authors

  • Alexander N. Bratchikov Moscow Aviation Institute, Russian Federation
  • Dmitriy I. Voskresenskii Moscow Aviation Institute, Russian Federation
  • Kees van’t Klooster European Space Agency, Netherlands

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1109/ICATT.2003.1238818

Keywords:

active phased array, phase stabilized fiber link, fiber-optic beamforming, fiber-optic transversal filter, fiber-optic delay line, fiber Bragg grating, coherent optical Fourier processor

Abstract

Fiber optics and microwave photonics are considered to be the technological basis for the solution of at least the two main design problems in large radio astronomical active phased arrays (RAAPA): phase stabilized LO reference signal transmission to each antenna element or subarray; antenna array beamforming. We describe in detail the solution to the former problem. It is the experimental version of a new fiber-optic link, operating in the remote heterodyning mode, with phase stability (<1° of phase) and full compensation of the insertion loss in the RF, microwave and millimeter wave frequency regions. Two principal methods of fiber-optic beamforming in a big RAAPA are also described in detail. The first one is based on an optical true-time delay (TTD) technique to realize the classic beamforming strategy by optical means. Systems of the second kind actively use hybrid coherent optical processors, replacing the classic beamforming strategy by holographic principles and avoiding the necessity of microwave radiation delay or phase shift evaluation in every array radiator in the real-time domain.

References

Proc. the Conf. on Perspectives on radio astronomy: technologies for large antenna arrays. Ed. by A. B. Smolders and M. P. van Haavlem. ASTRON, Dwingeloo, The Netherlands, 1999.

Vitkevich, V.V.; et al. Antenna hardware complex of BSA FIAN. Izvestiya VUZ Radioelectronics, 1976, Vol. 19, No. 11, p. 1534.

Bratchikov, A.N. Optical fibers and antennas. Proc. of JINA 98, Nov. 1998, Nice, France, pp. 275-289.

D’addario, L.; et al. ALMA line length correction system: report on tests in Japan. ALMA Memo, No. 445, p. 1-15, Feb. 03, 2003.

Bratchikov, A.N.; Sadekov, T.A. Phase stabilized fiber channel for UHF signal distribution based on lengthened optical filter. Photonics & Optoelectronics, Vol. 4, No. 2, p. 79-83, 1997.

Bratchikov, A.N. Phase stabilized fiber-optic link for microwave and millimeter wave signals distribution. Proc. of 25th ESA Antenna Workshop 2002, ESTEC, Nordwijk, NL, pp. 369-375.

Bratchikov, A.N. Optical beamforming technology for active phased arrays. CD Proc. of Millennium Conf. on Antennas and Propagation, AP2000, Davos, Switzerland, 2000.

Peschardt, E.; Sladen, J.P.H. Transmission of a stabilized RF phase reference over a monomode fiber-optic link. Electron. Lett., Vol. 22, No. 16, p. 868-869, 1986.

Frank, J. Bandwidth criteria for phased array antennas, in Phased array antennas. Oliner A.A.; Knitel, G.H. (eds.). Norwood MA: Artech House, 1972, pp. 243-253.

Frigyes, I.; Seeds, A.J. Optically generated true-time delay in phased array antennas. IEEE Trans. MTT, Vol. 43, p. 2378-2376, 1995.

Zmuda, H.; Toughlian, E.N. Photonic aspects of modem radar. Boston-London: Artech House, 1994.

Kumar, A. Antenna design with fiber optic. Boston-London: Artech House, 1996.

Soref, R. Optical dispersion technique for time-delay beam steering. IEEE Trans. MTT, Vol. 43, p. 2387-2394, Sept. 1995.

Hill, K.O.; Meltz, G. Fiber Bragg grating technology fundamentals and overview. J. Lightwave Technol., Vol. 15, p. 1263-1276, Aug. 1997.

Kannan, S.; et al. Thermal stability analysis of UV-induced fiber Bragg grating. J. Lightwave Technol., Vol. 15, p. 1478-1483, Aug. 1997.

Zmuda, H.; et al. Photonic beamformer for phased array antennas using a fiber grating prism. IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett., Vol. 9, p. 241-243, Feb. 1997.

Chang, Y.; et al. Optically controlled serially fed array radar. IEEE MTT-S Int. Microwave Symp. Dig., Baltimore, ML, Vol. 3, TH2C-2, p. 1367-1370, June 1998.

Corral, J.L.; et al. Continuously variable true time-delay optical feeder for phased array antenna employing chirped fiber gratings. IEEE Trans. Microwave Theor. Techn., Vol. 45, pp. 1531-1536, Aug. 1997.

Corral, J.L.; Marti, J.; Fuster, J.M. Optical gratings continuously variable true-time-delay lines. IEEE MTT-S Int. Microwave Symp. Dig., Baltimore, ML, Vol. 3, TH2C-5, p. 1379-1382, June 1998.

Esman, R.D.; et al. Fiber-optic prism true time-delay antenna feed. IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett., Vol. 5, p. 1347-1349, Nov. 1993.

Mathews, P.J.; Frankel, M.Y.; Esman, R.D. A wide-band fiber-optic true-time-steered array receiver capable of multiple independent Simultaneous beams. IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett., Vol. 10, p. 722-724, May 1998.

Frankel, M.Y.; Mathews, P.J.; Esman, R.D. Fiber-optic true time steering of an ultra wide band receive array. IEEE Trans. Microwave Theor. Techn., Vol. 45, p. 1522-1526, Aug. 1997.

Frankel, M.Y.; Esman, R.D. True time-delay fiber-optic control of an ultrawideband array transmitter/receiver with multibeam capability. IEEE Trans. Microwave Theor. Techn., Vol. 45, p. 2387-2394, Sept. 1995.

Tong, D.T.K.; Wu, M.C. A novel multiwavelength optically controlled phased array antenna with a programmable dispersion matrix. IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett., Vol. 10, p. 812-814, July 1996.

Tong, D.T.K. Wu, M.C. Multiwavelength optically controlled phased array antennas. IEEE Trans. Microwave Theor. Techn., Vol. 46, p. 108-115, Jan. 1998.

Tong, D.T.K. Wu, M.C. Transmit/receive module of multiwavelength optically controlled phased array antennas. IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett., Vol. 10, p. 1018-1020, July 1998.

Goutzoulis, A.P.; Davies, D.K. Hybrid electronic fiber-optic wavelength multiplexed system for true time-delay steering of phased array antennas. Optical Engineering, Vol. 31, p. 2312-2322, Nov. 1992.

Kannan, S.; Guo, J.Z.Y.; Lemaire, P.J. Thermal stability analysis of UV-induced fiber Bragg grating. J. Lightwave Technol., Vol. 15, p. 1478- 1483, Aug. 1997.

Koepf, G.A. Optical processor for phased array antenna beam formation. Proc. SPIE, Vol. 477, p. 75-81, May 1984.

Shibata, O.; Inagaki, K.; Karasawa, Y. Beamforming network characterization of spatial optical signal processing array antenna for multibeam reception. IEEE MTT-S Int. Microwave Symp. Dig., Baltimore, ML, Vol. 3, TH2C-3, p. 1371-1374, June 1998.

Published

2003-09-26