Multibeam radio frequency photonic beamformer using a multi-signal slow light time delay unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9838125-B2
Application number	US-201514836536-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 26, 2015
Priority date	Aug 26, 2014
Publication date	Dec 5, 2017
Grant date	Dec 5, 2017

Abstract

A photonic beamformer is disclosed andh is configured to transmit or receive a plurality of RF input signals from a plurality of antennas. The beamformer receiver includes a plurality of optical modulators, each optical modulator being configured to modulate each of the RF input signals onto an optical carrier, each carrier having a different wavelength. The beamformer receiver also includes a plurality of optical amplifiers, each optical amplifier being configured to vary the optical power of one optical carrier based on a weighting input and generate a weighted optical carrier. The beamformer receiver also includes a plurality of multi-beam optical true-time delays (TTD), each TTD being configured to receive all of the weighted optical carriers and generate a plurality time delayed optical carriers. The beamformer receiver also includes a plurality of detectors configured to detect each of the plurality time delayed optical carriers and generate an electrical signal that represents each of the plurality of received RF input signals.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A photonic beamformer configured to receive a plurality of RF input signals from a plurality of antennas, the beamformer comprising:
a plurality of optical modulators, each optical modulator being configured to modulate each of the RF input signals onto an optical carrier, each carrier having a different wavelength;
a plurality of optical amplifiers, each optical amplifier being configured to vary the optical power of one optical carrier based on a weighting input and generate a weighted optical carrier;
a plurality of multi-beam optical true-time delays (TTD), each TTD being configured to receive all of the weighted optical signals and generate a plurality of time delayed optical signals;
a plurality of detectors configured to detect each of the plurality of time delayed optical carriers and generate an electrical signal that represents each of the plurality of received RF input signals; and
at least one demultiplexer coupled between the optical modulators and the plurality of optical amplifiers to demultiplex the plurality of optical carriers into individual optical carriers.

2. The photonic beamformer of claim 1 wherein the optical amplifiers are semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) configured to vary the optical power of one optical carrier based on a weighting input and generate a weighted optical carrier.

3. The photonic beamformer of claim 1 wherein the multi-beam optical TTDs are semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) configured to receive all of the weighted optical carriers and generate a plurality time delayed optical signals.

4. The photonic beamformer of claim 1 further comprising at least one demultiplexer coupled between the multi-beam optical TTDs and the detectors to demultiplex the plurality of time delayed optical carriers into individual time delayed optical carriers.

5. A photonic beamformer configured to transmit a plurality of RF transmit signals from a plurality of antennas, the beamformer comprising:
a plurality of optical modulators, each optical modulator being configured to modulate each of the RF input signals onto an optical carrier, each carrier having a different wavelength;
a plurality of optical amplifiers, each optical amplifier being configured to vary the optical power of one optical carrier based on a weighting input and generate a weighted optical carrier;
a plurality of multi-beam optical true-time delays (TTD), each TTD being configured to receive all of the weighted optical carriers and generate a plurality of time delayed optical signals;
a plurality of detectors configured to detect each of the plurality of time delayed optical carriers and generate an electrical signal that represents each of the plurality of RF transmit signals; and
at least one splitter coupled between the optical modulators and the plurality of optical amplifiers to split the plurality of optical carriers into individual optical carriers.

6. The photonic beamformer of claim 5 wherein the optical amplifiers are semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) configured to vary the optical power of one optical carrier based on a weighting input and generate a weighted optical carrier.

7. The photonic beamformer of claim 5 wherein the multi-beam optical TTDs are semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) configured to receive all of the weighted optical carriers and generate a plurality time delayed optical carriers.

8. A photonic beamformer configured to receive a plurality of RF input signals from a plurality of antennas, the beamformer comprising:
a plurality of optical modulators, each optical modulator being configured to modulate each of the RF input signals onto an optical carrier, each carrier having a different wavelength;
a plurality of optical amplifiers, each optical amplifier being configured to vary the optical power of one optical carrier based on a weighting input and generate a weighted optical carrier;
a plurality of multi-beam optical true-time delays (TTD), each TTD being configured to receive all of the weighted optical signals and generate a plurality of time delayed optical signals;
a plurality of detectors configured to detect each of the plurality of time delayed optical carriers and generate an electrical signal that represents each of the plurality of received RF input signals; and
a signal processor configured for angle determination and weighting and delay determination coupled to the weighting input of each optical amplifier.

9. The photonic beamformer of claim 8 wherein the optical amplifiers are semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) configured to vary the optical power of one optical carrier based on a weighting input and generate a weighted optical carrier.

10. The photonic beamformer of claim 8 wherein the multi-beam optical TTDs are semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) configured to receive all of the weighted optical carriers and generate a plurality time delayed optical signals.

11. The photonic beamformer of claim 8 further comprising at least one demultiplexer coupled between the multi-beam optical TTDs and the detectors to demultiplex the plurality of time delayed optical carriers into individual time delayed optical carriers.

12. A photonic beamformer configured to transmit a plurality of RF transmit signals from a plurality of antennas, the beamformer comprising:
a plurality of optical modulators, each optical modulator being configured to modulate each of the RF input signals onto an optical carrier, each carrier having a different wavelength;
a plurality of optical amplifiers, each optical amplifier being configured to vary the optical power of one optical carrier based on a weighting input and generate a weighted optical carrier;
a plurality of multi-beam optical true-time delays (TTD), each TTD being configured to receive all of the weighted optical carriers and generate a plurality of time delayed optical signals;
a plurality of detectors configured to detect each of the plurality of time delayed optical carriers and generate an electrical signal that represents each of the plurality of RF transmit signals; and
a signal processor configured for angle determination and weighting and delay determination coupled to the weighting input of each optical amplifier.

13. The photonic beamformer of claim 12 wherein the optical amplifiers are semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) configured to vary the optical power of one optical carrier based on a weighting input and generate a weighted optical carrier.

14. The photonic beamformer of claim 12 wherein the multi-beam optical TTDs are semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) configured to receive all of the weighted optical carriers and generate a plurality time delayed optical carriers.

Assignees

• Univ Princeton

Inventors

• Prucnal Paul
• Chang Matthew
• Chang John

Classifications

• H04B7/0617

  for beam forming · CPC title

• H04B10/25752 Primary

  Optical arrangements for wireless networks · CPC title

• H04B10/1123

  Bidirectional transmission · CPC title

• H04Q1/00

  Details of selecting apparatus or arrangements · CPC title