Developing an integrated photonic system with a simple beamforming architecture for phased-array antennas.

Area of Science:

• Photonics and Electrical Engineering
• Integrated Photonics for Antenna Systems

Background:

• Phased-array antennas require complex beamforming networks.
• Existing true-time-delay beamformers are often bulky and difficult to scale.
• Integrated photonics offers a path towards miniaturized and efficient beamforming solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design a simplified true-time-delay beamforming architecture using integrated photonics.
• To demonstrate a proof-of-principle for a fiber-optics-based beamformer.
• To lay the groundwork for a semiconductor-based integrated photonic circuit for 2D beamforming.

Main Methods:

• Designed a simplified true-time-delay beamforming architecture.
• Utilized integrated photonics for independent control of multiple RF beams.
• Demonstrated a 1D steering X-band beamformer using a fiber-optics-based system.
• Designed a Si-based integrated waveguide circuit with "slow-light" waveguides for 2D steering.

Main Results:

• Achieved independent control of multiple RF beams with a single tuning parameter.
• Successfully demonstrated a proof-of-principle X-band beamformer for 1D steering.
• Designed a silicon photonic circuit capable of tunable time delays for 2D steering.

Conclusions:

• The proposed architecture simplifies true-time-delay beamforming for phased-array antennas.
• Integrated photonics is a viable technology for creating compact and scalable beamforming systems.
• The developed Si-based waveguide circuit design enables future 2D beamforming on a single chip for both transmit and receive operations.