Application of the fiber-optic communication system components for ultrawideband antenna array beamforming

The results of analysis of the photonic beamformer for an ultrawideband receiving antenna array are presented. The beamforming scheme is based on a “true-time-delay” method and optical fiber chromatic dispersion, and completed of components available on the market of fiber-optic analog communication systems implementing the Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) technology. The technique is developed, and calculations of the main performance data of the chosen beamforming scheme including the signal-to-noise ratio and dynamic range are carried out. Influence of the scheme components specifications on the estimates of main performance characteristics is analyzed.