Radar-Optimized Opto-Electronic Oscillator for Missile Defense and Multi-Function Radar

OEwaves will develop a chip scale X-band RF photonic oscillator with high spectral purity and long term stability, at least two orders of magnitude beyond state-of-the-art devices of similar SWaP. The oscillator will be self-referenced and will not need an external reference oscillator and/or atomic transition for long term frequency stabilization. In addition, it will be designed for packaging in a volume about 1 cc, with power consumption of less than 250 mW. The oscillator"s inherent architecture will support design for operation at Mil-Spec temperature and vibration conditions. The oscillator will produce a minimum of 1 mW of output power, and its single sideband phase noise will be as low as -90 dBc/Hz at 10 Hz, and -150 dBc at 10 kHz and higher Fourier frequencies; the Allan deviation will be better than 10-13 at 103 104 second integration time. In this program, OEwaves will demonstrate the proposed device in a somewhat larger form factor (30 cc brass-board model) characterized with the above mentioned high stability and low phase noise. After successful demonstration of the brass-board model, OEwaves will prepare a proposal for implementation of the ultimate packaged oscillator/clock (~1 cc) suitable for military applications.