Microwave

Materials science

Telecommunications

Computer science

Antenna (radio)

Photonics

Physics

Optics

Phased array

Optoelectronics

Photonics Research

We demonstrate significantly improved performance of a microwave true time delay line based on an integrated optical frequency comb source. The broadband micro-comb (over 100 nm wide) features a record low free spectral range (FSR) of 49 GHz, resulting in an unprecedented record high channel number (81 over the C band)—the highest number of channels for an integrated comb source used for microwave signal processing. We theoretically analyze the performance of a phased array antenna and show that this large channel count results in a high angular resolution and wide beam-steering tunable range. This demonstrates the feasibility of our approach as a competitive solution toward implementing integrated photonic true time delays in radar and communications systems.

Photonic microwave true time delays for phased array antennas using a 49 GHz FSR integrated optical micro-comb source [Invited]