Optically-activated array utilizing photonic integrated circuits (pics)

• US 10,186,771 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2016
• Issued: 01/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Bowden, James M., Holzheimer, Timothy R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hoang
• Application Number:
  US15/289,926
• Publication Number:
  US 20170104269A1
• Time in Patent Office: 834 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2283 mounted in or on the surface of a semiconductor substrate as a chip-type antenna or integrated with other components into an IC package
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/36 Structural form of radiating elements, e.g. cone, spiral, umbrella; Particular materials used therewithH01Q1/08, H01Q1/14 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/48 Earthing means; Earth screens; Counterpoises
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/24 Combinations of antenna units polarised in different directions for transmitting or receiving circularly and elliptically polarised waves or waves linearly polarised in any direction circularly polarised patch antennas H01Q9/0428; circularly polarised horns H01Q13/0241; cross-polarised horns H01Q13/0258; polarisation converters H01Q15/242; cross-polarised rear feeds H01Q19/136; crossed polarisation dual antenna H01Q25/001
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/2676 Optically controlled phased array

Abstract

A photonic integrated circuit. The photonic integrated circuit includes: a plurality of antenna elements, an element of the plurality of antenna elements having an electrical port and including: a first laser configured to produce laser light of a first wavelength; and a first radiative patch conditionally connected to the electrical port and connected, by an optical connection, to the laser, the first radiative patch including, as a major component, a semiconductor material configured to be conductive when illuminated by light having the first wavelength, and to be nonconductive when not illuminated, the first radiative patch being configured, when conductive, to convert an electric signal received at the electrical port to radiated electromagnetic waves, or to convert received electromagnetic waves to an electrical signal at the electrical port.

Claims

1. A photonic integrated circuit, comprising:

a plurality of antenna elements, an element of the plurality of antenna elements having an electrical port and comprising;

a first laser configured to produce laser light of a first wavelength; and

a first radiative patch conditionally connected to the electrical port and connected, by an optical connection, to the laser,

the first radiative patch comprising, as a major component, a semiconductor material configured to be conductive when illuminated by light having the first wavelength, and to be nonconductive when not illuminated,

the first radiative patch being configured, when conductive, to convert an electric signal received at the electrical port to radiated electromagnetic waves, or to convert received electromagnetic waves to an electrical signal at the electrical port.

2. The photonic integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein:

the optical connection comprises a waveguide coupled to an optical output of the first laser, and

the first radiative patch is on, and parallel to, a first portion of the waveguide.

3. The photonic integrated circuit of claim 2, wherein the first portion of the waveguide comprises a grating configured to reflect light out of a plane of the waveguide and toward the patch.

4. The photonic integrated circuit of claim 2, further comprising a photonic switch on the waveguide, the photonic switch being configured to conditionally connect the first radiative patch to the electrical port.

5. The photonic integrated circuit of claim 4, wherein the photonic switch comprises a conditionally conductive path comprising, as a major component, a semiconductor material configured to be conductive when illuminated by light having the first wavelength, and nonconductive when not illuminated.

6. The photonic integrated circuit of claim 2, further comprising a photonic coupler on the waveguide, the photonic coupler being configured to conditionally connect the first radiative patch to the electrical port,

wherein the photonic coupler comprises a conditionally conductive path comprising, as a major component, a semiconductor material configured to be conductive when illuminated by light having the first wavelength, and nonconductive when not illuminated.

7. The photonic integrated circuit of claim 1, further comprising a second radiative patch, the first radiative patch and the second radiative patch together forming a bowtie antenna.

8. The photonic integrated circuit of claim 1, further comprising:

a second laser configured to produce laser light of a second wavelength; and

a second radiative patch conditionally connected to the electrical port,

the second radiative patch comprising, as a major component, a semiconductor material configured to be conductive when illuminated by light having the second wavelength, and to be nonconductive when;

illuminated by light having the first wavelength, or

not illuminated.

9. The photonic integrated circuit of claim 8, further comprising a third radiative patch and a fourth radiative patch, wherein:

the first radiative patch and the third radiative patch form, when conductive, a bowtie antenna of a first size, and

the first radiative patch, the second radiative patch, the third radiative patch, and the fourth radiative patch form, when conductive, a bowtie antenna of a second size larger than the first size.

10. A stacked antenna comprising:

a first array antenna comprising a first photonic integrated circuit according to claim 1; and

a second array antenna comprising a second photonic integrated circuit according to claim 1,

the second array antenna being stacked parallel to the first array antenna.

11. The stacked antenna of claim 10, wherein the first array antenna is configured to operate at a first frequency and the second array antenna is configured to operate at a second frequency, higher than the first frequency.

12. The stacked antenna of claim 11, further comprising a ground plane, parallel to the first array antenna and to the second array antenna.

13. The stacked antenna of claim 12, wherein:

a separation between the ground plane and the first array antenna is one quarter of a wavelength corresponding to the first frequency, and

a separation between the ground plane and the second array antenna is one quarter of a wavelength corresponding to the second frequency.