Photonics-based real-time ultra-high-range-resolution radar with broadband signal generation and processing

Area of Science:

• Photonics and Radar Systems Engineering
• Applied Physics
• Signal Processing

Background:

• Modern radar systems require real-time, high-resolution target detection.
• Electronic techniques face limitations due to the need for large instantaneous bandwidths.
• Existing radar technologies struggle with processing speed and operational bandwidth.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel photonics-based radar architecture.
• To enable real-time processing of broadband signals for high-range-resolution radar.
• To overcome the bandwidth and processing speed limitations of conventional radar systems.

Main Methods:

• Optical generation of broadband linear frequency modulation (LFM) signals via photonic frequency quadrupling.
• Photonic frequency mixing for de-chirping received echoes to lower frequencies.
• Real-time processing using low-speed analog-to-digital conversion and digital signal processing.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated real-time processing of an 8-GHz LFM signal at a 500 MSa/s sampling rate.
• Achieved accurate distance measurement with a maximum error of 4 mm within a ~3.5-meter range.
• Obtained a range-resolution as high as 1.875 cm for detecting multiple targets.

Conclusions:

• The proposed photonics-based radar architecture offers a reliable solution for real-time, high-resolution target detection.
• This approach overcomes the inherent limitations of electronic radar concerning operational bandwidth and processing speed.
• The technology holds promise for future radar applications, including advanced target detection and imaging.