| Objective: | Develop a compact ultra-low phase noise frequency agile microwave opto-electronic oscillator (OEO) optimized for Space Based Radar (SBR).
| Description: | Local oscillator phase noise performance is often the primary limitation in modern radar systems. The impact of phase noise of the oscillator is particularly acute now that solid-state transmitters/receivers in phased array radars have improved dramatically over the years. Critical missions planned by future SBR require the highest performing oscillators possible that are also frequency agile, and features include: light-weight, smaller size, low power consumption, low cost, and can survive the launch acceleration and vibration. Such oscillators are critical enablers for SBR, and can potentially improve system performance by several orders of magnitude, by distributing phased-locked clock signals with very narrow locking bandwidth.
| | PHASE I: Develop and demonstrate a breadboard frequency agile, tunable signal source with phase noise of -140 dBc/Hz at 10KHz offset from an X-band carrier, with greater than 1GHz continuous tuning bandwidth.
| | | PHASE II: Miniaturize the breadboard demonstrated in Phase I and develop a low power consumption, high performance OEO-based synthesizer prototype. Demonstrate its frequency agility, phase noise performance, acceleration/vibration insensitivity, and phase lockable feature up to Ku-band for phased array SBR application.
| | DUAL USE COMMERCIALIZATION: This compact high performance and low cost opto-electronic synthesizer can be extended to a wider range of military and broadband commercial applications such as electronic warfare (EW), electronic counter-counter measures (ECCM), next generation mobile base-stations, microwave digital radios, satellite communications, and optical networking.
| References: | 1. Simpson, T.B., Liu, J., "Dynamics of Semiconductor Lasers Under External Optical Injection," PL-TR-97-1143, August 1997.
2. Advisory Group for Aerospace Research & Development, "High Power Microwaves (HPM)," AGARD-CP-564Vol I, March 995.
3. E., Fledderman, C.B., Focia, R., Gaudet, J., "A Study of Advanced Semiconductor Switch Physics and Technology," Schamiloglu, PL-TR-97-1151, September 1997.
4. Cimolino, M.C., "Diode-Laser-Pumped Optical Parametric Oscillator," PL-TR-96-1105, October 1996.
5. Moreland, L. D., Schamiloglu, E., Lemke, R. W., Korovin, S. D., Rostov, V. V., Roitman, A. M., Hend, “Efficiency Enhancements of High Power Vacuum BWO's using Non-Uniform Slow Wave Structures,” PL-WS-95-5, October 1994.
| | Keywords: | Opto-Electronics Oscillator,Synthesizer,Photonic Timer,Clock,Space Based Radar,Phased-Locked |