SBIR-STTR Award

Next-generation RF and microwave antenna arrays are expected to possess much advancement beyond existing antenna designs. In particular, improved range and cross-range resolution and new beam capabilities would be made possible with a wideband true-time-delay antenna feed. Several new techniques, such as fiber-optic feeds, offer excellent delay-line performance with the advantages of size, weight, bandwidth, propagation loss, immunity to electro-magnetic interference, and channel isolation. The packaging issues related to fiber-based delay lines, however, are complicated and costly. A guided-wave antenna feed in another form could offer the desirable attributes of fiber-based antenna feeds with simplified packaging and greater compactness. In this program Radiant Research, Inc. proposes a novel three-dimensionally integrated polymer-waveguide-based high-packing-density structure to cover all the advantages provided by optical-fiber arrays, while further reducing the system size and eliminating the complicated optoelectronic packaging problems associated with optical-fiber-based delay lines. Five-bit optical-delay lines of up to 10 meters can be fabricated using a 5 cm by 5 cm plate housing three-layers of polymeric waveguides, which have corresponding time delays of 1 ps to 50 ns. The resulting antenna system will possess the features oflow cost, wide coverage, flexible frequency change, multiple-link capability.

Keywords:
Phased Array Antenna, Poymeric Waveguide, Cost Effective, Flexible Frequency Change, True Time Delay

Next-generation RF and microwave antenna arrays rely on further advancement of true-time-delay (TTD) phased array technologies. Such desired characteristics as enhanced range and cross-range resolution, multiple simultaneous links, and new beam capabilities will be realized with a wideband TTD antenna feed. Several new fiber-optic feeds offer excellent delay-line performance with the advantages of size, weight, bandwidth, propagation loss, immunity to electro-magnetic interference (EMI), and channel isolation. In this program, we propose a novel structure by using integrated polymer thin-film waveguides (IPT-FWs) to cover all the advantages provided by optical-fiber arrays. The proposed guided-wave feed further offer greater compactness and simplified opto-electronic packaging. Implementation of polymeric optical switches and WDM (wavelength division multiplexing) devices forms the basic building blocks of a highly scalable three-dimensional (3-D) TTD phase array antenna (PAA). The polymeric platform greatly reduces the system insertion loss while providing a large dynamic range of beam steering. Five-bit optical-delay lines of up to 10 meters of delay paths will be fabricated in this program using a 5cm ?5cm plate with three-layers of polymeric waveguides. Such a TTD module has corresponding time delays from 1ps to 50ns. The resulting antenna system will possess the features of highly scalability, wide coverage, flexible frequency change, multiple beams over wide bands or cross multiple bands, high transmission capacity, multiple-link capability, and low cost. Anticipated Benefits/Commercial Applications: The proposed idea will result in a phased-array antenna with characteristics of significantly reduced hardware, wide frequency coverage, flexible band change, multiple beams over wide bands, high transmission capacity, and multiple-link capability. The architecture is readily deployable. Given currently fast-paced advancement in fiber-optic and optoelectronic commoponents, the proposed program will significantly shorten the time of technology transfer for military and commercial applications. The achievement of this research will provide reduced high-performance antennas, improve commercial satellite network performance, and reduce maintenance and operational costs. At the component level, the optical switches and WDMs are very attractive fundamental building blocks for metropolitan area networks.

Keywords:
Phased-array antennas, Optical switching, Wavelength division multiplexing, Polymeric waveguides, Multiple simultaneous links, Flexible frequency change, High transmission capacity