Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-s2hrs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-15T21:15:01.306Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Simultaneous beam steering of multiple signals based on optical wavelength-selective switch

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 April 2015

Giovanni Serafino*
Affiliation:
Institute of Communication Information and Perception Technologies (TeCIP), Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy. Phone: +39 0505492143
Antonio Malacarne
Affiliation:
National Laboratory of Photonic Networks (LNRF), CNIT, Pisa, Italy
Claudio Porzi
Affiliation:
National Laboratory of Photonic Networks (LNRF), CNIT, Pisa, Italy
Paolo Ghelfi
Affiliation:
National Laboratory of Photonic Networks (LNRF), CNIT, Pisa, Italy
Marco Presi
Affiliation:
Institute of Communication Information and Perception Technologies (TeCIP), Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy. Phone: +39 0505492143
Antonio D'Errico
Affiliation:
Ericsson Research, Pisa, Italy
Marzio Puleri
Affiliation:
Ericsson Research, Pisa, Italy
Antonella Bogoni
Affiliation:
National Laboratory of Photonic Networks (LNRF), CNIT, Pisa, Italy
*
Corresponding author: G. Serafino Email: [email protected]

Abstract

A novel, photonics-based scheme for the independent and simultaneous beam steering of multiple radio frequency signals at a wideband phased-array antenna is presented. As a proof of concept, a wavelength-selective switch (WSS) is employed both as a wavelength router to feed multiple antenna elements and as a tunable phase shifter to independently control the phase of each signal at any antenna element. In the experiment, two signals at 12.5 and 37.5 GHz are simultaneously fed to the four output ports of the WSS with independent and tunable phase shifts, emulating the independent steering of two signals in a four-element phased-array antenna. The results confirm the precision and flexibility of the proposed scheme, which can be realized both with bulk components or resorting to photonic integrated circuits, especially for wide-band applications. The architecture for a possible integrated implementation of the proposed solution is presented, employing a structure based on micro-ring resonator. Starting from these results, the feasibility of an integrated version of the presented architecture is also considered. The proposed photonic integrated circuit realizing the beam-forming network might be based on tunable true-time delay, as well as on phase shift through micro-ring resonators, and could be conveniently implemented with CMOS-compatible silicon technology.

Type
Research Papers
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press and the European Microwave Association 2015 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

[1] Bui, L.A.; Mitchell, A.; Ghorbani, K.; Chio, T.H.; Mansoori, S.; Lopez, E.R.: Wide-band photonically phased array antenna using vector sum phase shifting approach. IEEE Trans. Antennas Propag., 53 (2005), 35893596.Google Scholar
[2] Scotti, F.; Ghelfi, P.; Laghezza, F.; Serafino, G.; Pinna, S.; Bogoni, A.: Flexible true-time-delay beamforming in a photonics-based RF broadband signals generator, in ECOC 2013 Proc., London, UK, 2013, 1–3.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
[3] Yaron, L.; Rotman, R.; Zach, S.; Tur, R.: Photonic beamformer receiver with multiple beam capabilities. IEEE Photonics Technol. Lett., 22 (2001), 17231725.Google Scholar
[4] Schröder, J.; Roelens, M.A.F.; Du, L.B.; Lowery, A.J.; Frisken, S.; Eggleton, B.J.: An optical FPGA: reconfigurable simultaneous multi-output spectral pulse-shaping for linear optical processing. Opt. Express, 21 (2013), 690697.Google Scholar
[5] Yi, X.; Huang, T.X.H.; Minasian, R.A.: Photonic beamforming based on programmable phase shifters with amplitude and phase control. IEEE Photonics Technol. Lett., 23 (2011), 12861288.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
[6] Serafino, G.; Malacarne, A.; Ghelfi, P.; Porzi, C.; Presi, M.; Bogoni, A.: Simultaneous beam steering of multiple signals based on optical wavelength selective switch, in European Radar Conf. (EuRAD) 2014, Rome, Italy, 2014, 404–407.Google Scholar
[7] Vidal, B.; Piqueras, M.A.; Martí, J.: Multibeam photonic beamformer based on optical filters. IEEE Electron. Lett., 42 (2006), 980981.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
[8] Singh, S.: Structural modification of semiconductor optical amplifiers for wavelength division multiplexing systems. Prog. Quantum Electron., 35 (2011), 222.Google Scholar
[9] Tur, M.; Yaron, L., Oded, R.: Photonic technologies for antenna beamforming, in Optical Fiber Communication Conf., OThA6, Los Angeles, CA, 2011, 1–3.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
[10] Rudnick, R. et al. : Sub-banded/single-sub-carrier drop-demux and flexible spectral shaping with a fine resolution photonic processor, in European Conf. on Optical Communications (ECOC) 2014, PD.4.1, Cannes, France, 2014, 1–3.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
[11] Burla, M. et al. : Optical phase synchronization in coherent optical beamformers for phased array receive antennas, in IEEE LEOS Annual Meeting Conf. Proc., Belek-Antalya, Turkey, 2009, 693–694.Google Scholar
[12] Bogaerts, W. et al. : Silicon microring resonators. Laser Photonics Rev., 6 (2012), 4773.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
[13] Chen, L.; Sherwood-Droz, N.; Lipson, M.: Compact bandwidth-tunable microring resnators. Opt. Lett., 32 (2007), 33613363.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
[14] Longbrake, M.: True time-delay beamsteering for radar, in NAECON, 2012 IEEE National Conf., Dayton, OH, 2012, 246–249.Google Scholar
[15] Meijerink, A. et al. : Novel ring resonator-based integrated photonic beamformer for broadband phased array receive antennas – part I: design and performance analysis. IEEE J. Lightwave Technol., 28 (2010), 318.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
[16] Rasras, M.S. et al. : Integrated resonance-enhanced variable optical delay lines. IEEE Photonics Technol. Lett., 17 (2005), 834836.Google Scholar