Video broadcast using an optically controlled serially fed phased-array antenna

A new type of RF-photonic antenna design which uses an optical serially-fed phased array is proposed for applications in radar and communication systems. This antenna has the advantages of true time delay and yet only requires one tunable laser and one fiber optic grating delay for beam steering. In addition to discussing the system operation in transmit mode, we also present initial experiments establishing the viability of the basic serial-feed design approach by experimentally demonstrating the concept of optically controlled directional video broadcast using a 9 GHz sub-carrier. Our video transmission results are the first use of an optically controlled serially-fed phased array antenna as a communication device. KEYWORDS: true-time delay, fiber Bragg gratings, phased-array, video broadcast, photonic antenna, wireless communication