Programmable Microwave Fiver-Optic Delay Line Network

Current technologies such as digital RF memories and surface acoustic wave devices which have supported the delay of microwave signals have undesirable performance limitations. Advances in fiber optic and MMIC technologies have made fiber optic delay lines a viable alternative to the traditional methods of microwave signal delay for improved dynamic range, signal linearity, power consumption, physical package size, etc. We are presently completing a fiber optic delay memory (FODM) for White Sands Test Range with roughly 43 watts power dissipation, 400 nsecs minimum switching speed for any delay change from 0 to 10 usecs in 50 nsec increments, dynamic range of 55 dB, and 1.5 GHz signal bandwidth. Extending and improving the technology of the present design will provide a system which satisfies all of the performance specifications of the SBIR announcement with uncertainty with regard to the dynamic range at 16 GHz bandwidth. The objective of this Phase I proposal is to set up an experimental fiber optic link with various multiple delay mechanisms at 16 GHz bandwidth to determine the dynamic range of this link and project performance of a completed system for 655 usecs delay.