Photonic direction-of-arrival estimation based on compressive sensing.

Area of Science:

• Electromagnetics and Signal Processing
• Optical Sensing Technologies
• Microwave Engineering

Background:

• Optical methods for direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation of microwave signals are gaining interest.
• Current techniques often rely on single-sensor arrays, converting DOA estimation to optical power estimation.
• Existing methods require complex pre-estimation steps to link phase shifts and optical powers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a more accurate and robust optical DOA estimation algorithm.
• To overcome the limitations of existing single-sensor array methods.
• To directly estimate phase shifts using an N-sensor array (N>2).

Main Methods:

• Utilizes an N-sensor array (N>2) for microwave signal DOA estimation.
• Obtains an optical power vector from the sensor array.
• Applies a compressive sensing-based approach for direct phase shift estimation.

Main Results:

• The proposed algorithm demonstrates significantly improved estimation accuracy compared to existing optical DOA methods.
• The N-sensor array approach enhances the robustness of DOA estimation.
• Simulation results validate the superior performance of the new algorithm.

Conclusions:

• The developed compressive sensing-based optical DOA estimation algorithm offers superior accuracy and robustness.
• This N-sensor array method provides a more direct and efficient approach to phase shift estimation.
• The findings suggest a promising advancement in optical microwave signal DOA estimation technology.