Samuel P. Weaver

Optical BEAMTAP beam-forming and jammer-nulling system for broadband phased-array antennas.

We present an approach to receive-mode broadband beam forming and jammer nulling for large adaptive antenna arrays as well as its efficient and compact optical implementation. This broadband efficient adaptive method for true-time-delay array processing (BEAMTAP) algorithm decreases the number of tapped delay lines required for processing an N-element phased-array antenna from N to only 2, producing an enormous savings in delay-line hardware (especially for large broadband arrays) while still providing the full NM degrees of freedom of a conventional N-element time-delay-and-sum beam former that requires N tapped delay lines with M taps each. This allows the system to adapt fully and optimally to an arbitrarily complex spatiotemporal signal environment that can contain broadband signals of interest, as well as interference sources and narrow-band and broadband jammers--all of which can arrive from arbitrary angles onto an arbitrarily shaped array--thus enabling a variety of applications in radar, sonar, and communication. This algorithm is an excellent match with the capabilities of radio frequency (rf) photonic systems, as it uses a coherent optically modulated fiber-optic feed network, gratings in a photorefractive crystal as adaptive weights, a traveling-wave detector for generating time delay, and an acousto-optic device to control weight adaptation. Because the number of available adaptive coefficients in a photorefractive crystal is as large as 10(9), these photonic systems can adaptively control arbitrarily large one- or two-dimensional antenna arrays that are well beyond the capabilities of conventional rf and real-time digital signal processing techniques or alternative photonic techniques.

Efficient true-time-delay adaptive array processing

We present a novel and efficient approach to true-time-delay (TTD) beamforming for large adaptive phased arrays with N elements, for application in radar, sonar, and communication. This broadband and efficient adaptive method for time-delay array processing algorithm decreases the number of tapped delay lines required for N-element arrays form N to only 2, producing an enormous savings in optical hardware, especially for large arrays. This new adaptive system provides the full NM degrees of freedom of a conventional N element time delay beamformer with M taps, each, enabling it to fully and optimally adapt to an arbitrary complex spatio-temporal signal environment that can contain broadband signals, noise, and narrowband and broadband jammers, all of which can arrive from arbitrary angles onto an arbitrarily shaped array. The photonic implementation of this algorithm uses index gratings produce in the volume of photorefractive crystals as the adaptive weights in a TTD beamforming network, 1 or 2 acousto-optic devices for signal injection, and 1 or 2 time-delay-and- integrate detectors for signal extraction. This approach achieves significant reduction in hardware complexity when compared to systems employing discrete RF hardware for the weights or when compared to alternative optical systems that typically use N channel acousto-optic deflectors.

Wide angular aperture holograms in photorefractive crystals by the use of orthogonally polarized write and read beams

We demonstrate a method of simultaneous holographic recording and readout in photorefractive crystals that provides high write-read beam isolation and wide angular bandwidth. The method uses orthogonally polarized read and write beams and parallel tangent diffraction geometry near the equal curvature condition to provide spatially separable, orthogonally polarized diffracted output beams with high isolation and wide Bragg-matched angular bandwidth. The available angular bandwidth of this read-write technique is analyzed, simulated, and experimentally investigated. The measured angular bandwidth internal to the crystal is approximately 18° × 6° for our 45°-cut BaTiO(3) crystal, yet the entire hologram still demonstrates high Bragg selectivity. In contrast, traditional nonparallel-tangent geometries yield angular apertures of the order of 1° × 4°.

All-optical antenna array adaptive processing system

We present an all-optical architecture for a fully adaptive antenna array processor capable of optimally processing the signals from very large arrays in the presence of high frequency and wideband signals. A modified version of the least mean square algorithm is employed using the BEAMTAP (Broadband and Efficient Adaptive Method for True-time-delay Array Processing) architecture. A dynamic photorefractive volume hologram is used for the adaptive weights and two cohered fiber arrays are used as tapped-delay-lines at the output and feedback paths, allowing for the processing of signals at bandwidths exceeding 10 GHz. The optical cohering of the fiber arrays is discussed and simulations are shown which describe the performance of the proposed architecture in the presence of broadband signals and multiple broadband jammers.

Broadband efficient adaptive method for true-time-delay array processing

In this paper we present a new approach to efficient true-time-delay (TTD) beamforming for large adaptive phased arrays as well as its elegant and compact optical implementation. This broadband and efficient adaptive Method for time-delay array processing (BEAMTAP) algorithm decreases the number of tapped delay lines required to process an N-element phased array antenna from N to only 2, producing an enormous savings in delay-line hardware, especially for large arrays, while still providing the full NM degrees of freedom of a conventional N element time delay beamformer with M taps each. This allows the system to fully and optimally adapt to an arbitrarily complex spatio-temporal signal environment that can contain broadband signals, noise, and narrowband and broadband jammers, all of which can arrive from arbitrary ranges and angles onto an arbitrarily shaped array, thus enabling a variety of application in radar, sonar, and communication. This algorithm is an excellent match with the capabilities of RF photonic systems using gratings in photorefractive crystals as adaptive weights, because the hardware implementation of tapped delay lines is the factor which limits the scalability of these systems to large arrays. Because the number of available adaptive coefficients in a photorefractive crystal is practically unlimited, these photonic systems can adaptively control very large 1-D or 2-D phased arrays, that are well beyond the capabilities of conventional RF or real-time digital signal processing techniques.

Photorefractive phased array antenna beam-forming processor

A high bandwidth, large degree-of-freedom photorefractive phased-array antenna beam-forming processor which uses 3D dynamic volume holograms in photorefractive crystals to time integrate the adaptive weights to perform beam steering and jammer-cancellation signal-processing tasks is described. The processor calculates the angle-of-arrival of a desired signal of interest and steers the antenna pattern in the direction of this desired signal by forming a dynamic holographic grating proportional to the correlation between the incoming signal of interest from the antenna array and the temporal waveform of the desired signal. Experimental results of main-beam formation and measured array-functions are presented in holographic index grating and the resulting processor output.

Nonlinear techniques in optical synthetic aperture radar image generation and target recognition

One of the most successful optical signal-processing applications to date has been the use of optical processors to convert synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data into images of the radar reflectivity of the ground. We have demonstrated real-time input to a high-space-bandwidth optical SAR imagegeneration system by using a dynamic organic holographic recording medium and SAR phase-history data. Real-time speckle reduction in optically processed SAR imagery has been accomplished by the use of multilook averaging to achieve nonlinear modulus-squared accumulation of subaperture images. We designed and assembled an all-optical system that accomplished real-time target recognition in SAR imagery. This system employed a simple square-law nonlinearity in the form of an optically addressed spatial light modulator at the SAR image plane to remove the effects of speckle phase profiles returned from complex SAR targets. The detection stage enabled the creation of an optical SAR automatic target recognition system as a nonlinear cascade of an optical SAR image generator and an optical correlator.

Adaptive beamforming with TDI CCD-based true-time-delay processing

We present an adaptation of the BEAMTAP (Broadband and Efficient Adaptive Method for True-time-delay Array Processing) algorithm, previously developed for wideband phased array radars, to lower bandwidth applications such as sonar. This system utilizes the emerging time or wavelength multiplexed optical hydro-phone sensors and processes the cohered array of signals in the optical domain without conversion to the electronic domain or digitization. Modulated signals from an optical hydro-phone array are pre- processed then imaged through a photorefractive crystal where they interfere with a reference signal and its delayed replicas. The diffraction of the sonar signals off these adaptive weight gratings and detection on a linear time- delay-and-integrate charge coupled device (TDI CCD) completes the true-time-delay (TTD) beamforming process. Optical signals focused on different regions of the TDI CCD accumulate the appropriate delays necessary to synchronize and coherently sum the acoustic signals arriving at various angles on the hydro-phone array. In this paper, we present an experimental demonstration of TTD processing of low frequency signals (in the KHz sonar regime) using a TDI CCD tapped delay line. Simulations demonstrating the performance of the overall system are also presented.

Imaging analysis of photorefractive phased array beamforming

We present the analytical description of a photorefractive phased array beamforming system using the BEAMTAP (Broadband and Efficient Adaptive Method for True-Time-Delay Array Processing) algorithm for a large N-element array that requires only 2 tapped delay lines (TDLs) instead of the conventional N TDLs. Simulation results indicate that the processor is able to adapt to a broadband signal of interest at a specific angle of arrival. We show that the system produces a coherent sum of the desired signals from the phased array, with the corresponding time delays appropriately compensated for in an adaptive fashion without prior knowledge of the angle-of-arrival.

Three-dimensional holographic data processing and wavelength readout for range-doppler-angle radar, and synthetic-aperture radar

The utilization of three dimensions of parallelism in photorefractive data processors is extended to parallel three- dimensional readout for the two radar scenarios of radar doppler and ranging processing, and 3D synthetic aperture radar. These are scenarios in which the data processing has full parallelism in all of three dimensions, making the volume holographic approach attractive. The result of this processing gives us a surface with the third dimension coded with the wavelength and the value represented by the intensity so that the three dimensions of data may be read out in parallel with the use of a three-color CCD.