Millimeter wave arrays using Rotman lens and optical heterodyne

• US 5,677,697 A
• Filed: 02/28/1996
• Issued: 10/14/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hughes Electronics Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hughes Electronics Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Ng, Willie W., Tangonan, Gregory L., Lee, J. J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hellner, Mark
• Application Number:
  US08/608,589
• Time in Patent Office: 594 Days
• Field of Search: 342/368, 342/376, 342/54
• US Class Current: 342/368
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/426 Scanning radar, e.g. 3D radar G01S13/66 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/032 Constructional details for solid-state radar subsystems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/282 Transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/02 Refracting or diffracting devices, e.g. lens, prism
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 25/008 lens fed multibeam arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/2676 Optically controlled phased array

Abstract

An optical heterodyne system provides the radiation source and beam scan control of a millimeter wave (MMW) array antenna. The heterodyne system is an optical feed system to produce the MMW by mixing the optical outputs from two lasers, distribute the signal source to an array of radiating elements through a Rotman lens and optical fibers, generate the differential phase shift for beam scan in the optical domain, change the beam direction by switching the input laser being used to illuminate the Rotman lens or by varying the frequency of one of the laser sources. The feed system includes a plurality n-1 lasers spaced along the transmit side of the lens, and a center laser disposed on the center axis of the transmit side. A l:n switch receives a command input to determine which of the n-1 lasers will operate. The beat frequency between the center laser operating frequency and that of the n-1 lasers is the MMW frequency. N optical receive elements are spaced along the output side of the Rotman lens and are connected to a corresponding photodetector by equal length optical fibers. The output of each photodetector is amplified and fed to a corresponding radiating element. The system also operates in a corresponding receive mode.

Claims

1. A millimeter wave (MMW) array antenna employing an optical heterodyne system to provide a radiation source and beam scan control, the array antenna comprising:

a Rotman optical lens having a center axis;

n-1 lasers spaced around a lens transmit side for emitting light energy at a first optical frequency;

a center laser disposed at the center axis on said lens transmit side for emitting light energy at a second optical frequency, wherein an MMW operating frequency of the array antenna is equal to the beat frequency between the first and second optical frequencies;

N optical receive elements spaced along a Rotman lens receive side for receiving optical energy emitted by said lasers;

each of said n-1 lasers operating at said first frequency and said center laser operating at said second frequency have a wide field of view so as to illuminate all of said optical receive elements through said lens;

N equal length optical fibers each having a first fiber end connected to a corresponding one of said receive elements and a second end connected to a corresponding detector element;

N amplifiers each having an input connected to a corresponding second fiber end of one of said optical fibers, and an output connected to a corresponding MMW radiating element of said array antenna; and

selector apparatus for selecting a particular one of said n-1 lasers to operate as an optical source, wherein the selection of said particular laser determines the beam direction generated by said array antenna.

2. The array antenna of claim 1 wherein said selector apparatus comprises a switch apparatus, having a command input port for receiving a selection command and n output ports, wherein said selection command determines which of said n-1 lasers operates at a particular instant of time to determine said beam direction.

3. The array antenna of claim 1 further including a phase lock loop for stabilizing the MMW frequency of the array antenna, comprising a master oscillator for providing a reference signal operating at a desired operating MMW frequency of said antenna, mixing means for mixing said reference signal with an output from on of said photodetectors to provide a DC control signal connected to a control input of said center laser to tune the output of said center laser and thereby stabilize said MMW frequency.

4. The array antenna of claim 1 wherein said Rotman lens includes a planar waveguide formed on a silicon substrate.

5. The array antenna of claim 1 wherein said receive elements are spaced apart by a distance dx, and wherein said receive elements have a size dimension which is about equal to the distance dx, so that the receive elements are touching each other to minimize spillover losses.

6. The array antenna of claim 1 wherein said detector elements do not respond to optical energy at said first or second wavelengths, and respond only to incident energy at said MMW operating frequency of the array antenna.

7. A millimeter wave (MMW) array antenna employing an optical heterodyne system to provide beam scan control, the array antenna comprising:

a Rotman optical lens having a center axis;

N radiative elements for receiving incident MMW radiation;

N optical modulators, each having a modulator control input terminal coupled to a corresponding one of said radiative elements, wherein the MMW energy received by said radiative element modulates said optical modulator;

a first laser for generating optical energy at a first optical frequency;

optical splitter apparatus having a single input for receiving said first laser optical energy and N outputs, said apparatus for splitting said laser optical energy into N optical signal components at said first optical frequency, and wherein each output is connected to an input of a corresponding one of said optical modulators, wherein each modulator is arranged to modulate a given one of said N optical signal components;

said Rotman lens having N emitter ports arranged on a receive side of said Rotman lens, said emitter ports being connected by equal length optical fibers to corresponding outputs of said optical modulators;

a center laser disposed at the center axis on said lens receive side for emitting light energy at a second optical frequency, wherein an MMW operating frequency of the array antenna is equal to the beat frequency between the first and second optical frequencies;

n optical receive elements spaced along a Rotman lens transmit side for receiving optical energy emitted by said lasers;

said center laser and said optical emitter elements having a wide field of view so as to illuminate all of said optical receive elements through said lens;

each of said n receive elements connected to a corresponding detector element;

selector apparatus for selecting a particular one of the outputs of said detector elements to provide a MMW receive signal for said antenna, wherein the selection of said particular detector element output determines the beam direction generated by said array antenna.

8. The array antenna of claim 7 wherein said selector apparatus comprises a switch apparatus, having n input ports and an output port, wherein a selection command determines which of said n detector element output signals is selected at a particular instant of time to determine said beam direction.

9. The array antenna of claim 7 further including a phase lock loop for stabilizing the MEW frequency of the array antenna, comprising a master oscillator for providing a reference signal operating at a desired operating MMW frequency of said antenna, mixing means for mixing said reference signal with an output from on of said photodetectors to provide a DC control signal connected to a control input of said center laser to tune the output of said center laser and thereby stabilize said MMW frequency.

10. The array antenna of claim 7 wherein said Rotman lens includes a planar waveguide formed on a silicon substrate.

11. The array antenna of claim 7 wherein said receive elements are spaced apart by a distance dx, and wherein said receive elements have a size dimension which is about equal to the distance dx, so that the receive elements are touching each other to minimize spillover losses.

12. The array antenna of claim 7 wherein said detector elements do not respond to optical energy at said first or second wavelengths, and respond only to incident energy at said MMW operating frequency of the array antenna.

13. A millimeter wave (MMW) array antenna employing an optical heterodyne system to provide beam scan control, the array antenna comprising:

a Rotman optical lens having a center axis;

n-1 laser sources spaced around a lens transmit side for emitting light energy at a first optical frequency;

a center laser source disposed at the center axis on said lens transmit side for emitting light energy at a second optical frequency, wherein an MMW operating frequency of the array antenna is equal to the beat frequency between the first and second optical frequencies;

N optical receive elements spaced along a Rotman lens receive side for receiving optical energy emitted by said laser sources;

each of said n-1 laser sources and said center laser source having a wide field of view so as to illuminate all of said optical receive elements through said lens;

N equal length optical fibers each having a first fiber end connected to a corresponding one of said receive elements and a second end connected to a corresponding detector element;

N amplifiers each having an input connected to a corresponding detector element and an output connected to a corresponding mixer device;

N MMW receive antenna elements;

N low noise amplifiers each having an input connected to a corresponding receive element and an output connected to a corresponding one of N mixer devices for mixing with a corresponding signal from a photodetector device;

summing circuitry for summing output signals from each of said N mixer devices to provide a summed output; and

selector apparatus for selecting a particular one of said n-1 laser sources to operate as an optical source, wherein the selection of said particular laser source determines the receive beam direction for said array antenna.

14. The array antenna of claim 13 wherein said selected laser source illuminates said receive elements to produce a linearly progressive phase front distribution along outputs of said photodetector devices.

15. The array antenna of claim 14 wherein said receive beam direction is at an opposite conjugal angular position relative to said center axis.

16. The array antenna of claim 13 wherein said selector apparatus comprises a switch apparatus, having a command input port for receiving a selection command and n output ports, wherein said selection command determines which of said n-1 lasers operates at a particular instant of time to determine said beam direction.

17. The array antenna of claim 13 further including a phase lock loop for stabilizing the MMW frequency of the array antenna, comprising a master oscillator for providing a reference signal operating at a desired operating MMW frequency of said antenna, mixing means for mixing said reference signal with an output from on of said photodetectors to provide a DC control signal connected to a control input of said center laser to tune the output of said center laser and thereby stabilize said MMW frequency.

18. The array antenna of claim 13 wherein said Rotman lens includes a planar waveguide formed on a silicon substrate.

19. The array antenna of claim 13 wherein said receive elements are spaced apart by a distance dx, and wherein said receive elements have a size dimension which is about equal to the distance dx, so that the receive elements are touching each other to minimize spillover losses.

20. The array antenna of claim 13 wherein said detector elements do not respond to optical energy at said first or second wavelengths, and respond only to incident energy at said MMW operating frequency of the array antenna.

21. An array antenna employing a heterodyne system to provide beam scan control, the array antenna comprising:

a first plurality of radiation sources, each operating at a first frequency and having an effective spacing between adjacent sources;

a second radiation source operating at a second frequency and centrally positioned with respect to the first plurality of radiation sources, wherein an operating frequency of the array antenna is equal to a beat frequency between the first and second frequencies;

a third plurality of radiation receiving elements, spaced from the first and second pluralities of radiation sources and from each other;

first radiation transmission means for conveying the radiation from each of said first plurality of radiation sources to each of said radiation receiving elements to achieve a differential phase shift between signals received at adjacent receive elements due to radiation received from a given one of said radiation sources;

second radiation transmission means for conveying in phase the radiation from the second source to each receiving element;

a plurality of equal length transmission lines each having a first end connected to a corresponding one of said receive elements and a second end connected to a corresponding transducer element, each transducer element producing a transducer output signal at said beat frequency, the respective transducer signals reproducing said differential phase shifts;

a plurality of radiating element;

means for driving said radiating elements with said transducer signals; and

selector apparatus for selecting a particular one of said first plurality of first radiation sources, wherein the selection of said particular first radiation source determines the beam direction generated by said array antenna.

22. The array antenna of claim 21 wherein said selector apparatus comprises a switch apparatus, having a command input port for receiving a selection command and a plurality of output ports, wherein said selection command determines which of said first radiation sources operates at a particular instant of time to determine said beam direction.