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.

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

An adaptive null-steering phased-array optical processor that utilizes a photorefractive crystal to time integrate the adaptive weights and null out correlated jammers is described. This is a beam-steering processor in which the temporal waveform of the desired signal is known but the look direction is not. The processor computes the angle(s) of arrival of the desired signal and steers the array to look in that direction while rotating the nulls of the antenna pattern toward any narrow-band jammers that may be present. We have experimentally demonstrated a simplified version of this adaptive phased-array-radar processor that nulls out the narrow-band jammers by using feedback-correlation detection. In this processor it is assumed that we know a priori only that the signal is broadband and the jammers are narrow band. These are examples of a class of optical processors that use the angular selectivity of volume holograms to form the nulls and look directions in an adaptive phased-array-radar pattern and thereby to harness the computational abilities of three-dimensional parallelism in the volume of photorefractive crystals. The development of this processing in volume holographic system has led to a new algorithm for phased-array-radar processing that uses fewer tapped-delay lines than does the classic time-domain beam former. The optical implementation of the new algorithm has the further advantage of utilization of a single photorefractive crystal to implement as many as a million adaptive weights, allowing the radar system to scale to large size with no increase in processing hardware.

Photorefractive processing for large adaptive phased arrays

Multigigabit-per-second true time delay (TTD) was experimentally demonstrated by use of optical coherent transient techniques in a Tm3+:YAG crystal. A delay accuracy of 1  ps and a delay resolution of 7  ps (both measurement limited) were achieved. The retrieved data retained good fidelity.

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Demonstration of optical coherent transient true-time delay at 4 Gbits/s

A system that optically performs complex transforms, such as Fourier transforms. The system includes a pixel addressable spatial modulator that, in parallel, adjusts the phase of the light of each pixel. The modulator can be a reflective or transmissive type device. A transform lens, such as a Fourier lens, performs a two dimensional transform of the pixels outputs. This operation is repeated for the characteristic function (real and imaginary) of the function. The transformed outputs of the characteristic functions are sampled by a light detector and processed by a computer using simple fast operations, such as addition, into the final transform.

Two dimensional transform generator

The requirement for diverse applications such as digital video, interactive media etc. demands high storage densities, rapid data transfer rates, random access to data and removability of the storage media. The complete technology involves suitable recording medium and the processes for recording, post treatment and reading. The challenge in the development of holographic storage system is the availability of appropriate recording medium which shows maximum refractive index change on irradiation. In this article, attempt has been made to discuss the important disclosure of patents made during rapid development of the holographic recording medium. Silver halide emulsions to variety of photopolymers are developed to achieve minimum polymer film shrinkage, minimum post processing and multiple writing. All types of polymer based mediums are incorporated in this article. Few discussions are divided into subsections. It has generally been observed that acrylates, acrylamide, carbazolyl-, fluorenyl-, anthracenyl- containing monomers are common monomers and polymethyl metha- crylates, polyvinyl alcohols, epoxy resin, sol-gel to polyelectrolytes are the common matrix resin. A recent addition is the nanoparticles in the composition to improve the diffraction efficiency and hologram stability. A different class of photopolymer called photorefractive polymer is also reported. Liquid crystalline polymer is photopolymer which provides erasable holographic media. Claims chosen are mostly from US patents. Some other literatures are also included as demanded by the discussion. The important features of the medium used in patents are highlighted. The details about performance, as claimed in certain patents, are incorporated. Rapid developments are observed in the subject.

Holographic Recording Medium

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.

Efficient true-time-delay adaptive array processing

We present a spatio-temporal operator formalism and beam propagation simulations that describe the broadband efficient adaptive method for a true-time-delay array processing (BEAMTAP) algorithm for an optical beamformer by use of a photorefractive crystal. The optical system consists of a tapped-delay line implemented with an acoustooptic Bragg cell, an accumulating scrolling time-delay detector achieved with a traveling-fringes detector, and a photorefractive crystal to store the adaptive spatio-temporal weights as volume holographic gratings. In this analysis, linear shift-invariant integral operators are used to describe the propagation, interference, grating accumulation, and volume holographic diffraction of the spatio-temporally modulated optical fields in the system to compute the adaptive array processing operation. In addition, it is shown that the random fluctuation in time and phase delays of the optically modulated and transmitted array signals produced by fiber perturbations (temperature fluctuations, vibrations, or bending) are dynamically compensated for through the process of holographic wavefront reconstruction as a byproduct of the adaptive beam-forming and jammer-excision operation. The complexity of the cascaded spatial-temporal integrals describing the holographic formation, and subsequent readout processes, is shown to collapse to a simple imaging condition through standard operator manipulation. We also present spatio-temporal beam propagation simulation results as an illustrative demonstration of our analysis and the operation of a BEAMTAP beamformer.

Spatio-temporal operator formalism for holographic recording and diffraction in a photorefractive-based true-time-delay phased-array processor

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 BaTiO3 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°.

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

We are developing a class of optical phased-array-radar processors which use the large number of degrees-of-freedom available in 3D photorefractive volume holograms to time integrate the adaptive weights to perform beam-steering and jammer-cancellation signal-processing tasks for very large phased-array antennas. We have experimentally demonstrated independently the two primary subsystems of the beam-steering and jammer-nulling phased-array radar processor, the beam-forming subsystem and the jammer-nulling subsystem, as well as simultaneous main beam formation and jammer suppression in the combined processor. The beam-steering subsystem 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. This grating is formed by repetitively applying the temporal waveform of the desired signal to a single acousto-optic Bragg cell and allowing the diffracted component from the Bragg cell to interfere with an optical mapping of the received phased-array antenna signal at a photorefractive crystal. The diffracted component from this grating is the antenna output modified by an array function pointed towards the desired signal of interest. This beam-steering task is performed with the only a priori information being that of the knowledge of a temporal waveform that correlates well with the desired signal and that the delay of the desired signal remains within the time aperture of the Bragg cell. The jammer-nulling subsystem computes the angles-of- arrival of multiple interfering narrowband radar jammers and adaptively steers nulls in the antenna pattern in order to extinguish the jammers by implementing a modified LMS algorithm in the optical domain. This task is performed in a second photorefractive crystal where holographic gratings are formed which are proportional to the correlation between the unprocessed antenna output and a delayed version of the formed main beam. The diffracted components from these gratings are subtracted from the formed main-beam signal producing a processor output with reduced jammer content.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

Anthony W. Sarto

Papers

Photorefractive processing for large adaptive phased arrays

Efficient true-time-delay adaptive array processing

Spatio-temporal operator formalism for holographic recording and diffraction in a photorefractive-based true-time-delay phased-array processor

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

Beam-steering and jammer-nulling photorefractive phased-array radar processor