Work

A Transceiver-Shared Photonic Integrated Broadband Multi-Beamformer Based on an Extended Blass Matrix

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Multi-beam phased array antennas have become essential in modern radar and communication systems, offering high gain, superior directivity, and exceptional agility. However, traditional multi-beam phased array antennas face significant challenges in meeting the growing demand for large, instantaneous bandwidth and compatibility with transmit-and-receive multi-beamforming. To achieve these requirements, we propose a novel transceiver-shared photonic integrated broadband multi-beamforming network architecture based on an extended Blass matrix framework. Combined with wavelength division multiplexing, the architecture enables the separation and decoupling of transmit and receive channels, ensuring the independent synthesis of multiple beams for transmission and receiving. Furthermore, we design and implement a 3 × 3 transceiver-shared photonic integrated broadband multi-beamformer on a standard silicon-on-insulator platform. The proposed multi-beamformer successfully demonstrates broadband multi-beamforming across six independent directions, with transmitted beams at 15°, 30°, and 45° and received beams at 20°, 40°, and 60°, covering both the whole X and Ku bands.

Source: Photonics

DOI: 10.3390/photonics12040379

Authors: Ruixuan Wang, Weichao Ma, Wangzhe Li

Institutions: Chinese Academy of Sciences, Aerospace Information Research Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences

Language: English

Topic: Advanced Photonic Communication Systems

Subfield: Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,896

Funders: National Natural Science Foundation of China, Science and Technology Planning Project of Guangdong Province