Novel Phased Array Antenna Technology for Missile Defense

This program addresses a revolutionary low cost manufacturing technology of digitally switchable fiberoptic true time delay manifold for high performance phased array antenna. By using an improved electro-optic material system, the proposed integrateddevice will provide sub-microsecond high reconfigurable speed. Our approach is sate-of-the-art in design and closely coupled with proven volume fiber optic component manufacturing techniques, holding a promise of realizing practical optical digital delaywith performance and cost that have not been achieved before. The non-metallic fiber optics approach provides ultra-high and instantaneous bandwidth as well as immunity to electromagnetic interference and jamming. The proposed compact, lightweight, ultrareliable, and low power consumption photonic phase array antenna is well suited to conform into vehicle boy with improved stealth and reduced risk. The proposed demonstration 5 bit reconfigurable optical delay line is not presently commercially availablebut is already in critical demand for the phase array radar applications. It is anticipated that the proposed high performance device will have wide application in DoD systems such as photonic radar and fiberoptic microwave distribution network. Theanticipated commercial optical communication market is very large with forecasted reaching billion dollars by year 2006.