Optical feed network for phased array antennas

1. An optical feed network comprising:

a polarization combiner configured to receive two optical signals and to provide a combined output;

a splitter unit coupled to the polarization combiner to receive the combined output and configured to split the combined output into an integer number of channel signals;

a plurality of electro-optical phase shifting elements configured to phase modulate the channel signals to produce phase-shifted signals;

polarization controllers disposed prior to the plurality of electro-optical phase shifting elements and configured to control phases of the channel signals;

a polarization control module configured to receive and process one or more signals associated with one or more outputs of the electro-optical phase-shifting elements and configured to provide electrical control signals to one or more of the polarization controllers; and

a plurality of photo-detectors configured to obtain the one or more signals associated with the one or more outputs of the electro-optical phase shifting elements, wherein the one or more signals associated with the one or more outputs of the electro-optical phase shifting elements comprise direct-current (DC) signals detected by the plurality of photodetectors, and wherein the plurality of photodetectors are further configured to provide a plurality of radio frequency (RF) feed signals to an array of a respective plurality of antennas.

2. An optical feed network comprising:

a polarization combiner configured to receive two optical signals and to provide a combined output;

a splitter unit coupled to the polarization combiner to receive the combined output and configured to split the combined output into an integer number of channel signals;

a plurality of electro-optical phase shifting elements configured to phase modulate the channel signals to produce phase-shifted signals; and

two mutually coherent optical sources configured to generate the two optical signals, wherein the two optical signals have a frequency difference directly proportional to a desired RF frequency.

3. The optical feed network of claim 2 , wherein the splitter unit comprises multiple splitters.

4. The optical feed network of claim 3 , wherein the multiple splitters include at least one 1-to-2 beam splitter and at least one 1-to-N beam splitter.

5. The optical feed network of claim 2 , further comprising at least one polarization maintaining fiber configured to couple the polarization combiner to the splitter unit.

6. The optical feed network of claim 5 , wherein the at least one polarization maintaining fiber is configured to conduct a component of the combined output corresponding to a first one of the two optical signals along a fast axis and a component of the combined output corresponding to a second one of the two optical signals along a slow axis.

7. The optical feed network of claim 2 , further comprising at least one polarization-independent amplifier configured to amplify the combined output prior to the splitter unit.

8. The optical feed network of claim 2 , further comprising a phase controller coupled to the plurality of electro-optical phase shifting elements to control phases of the electro-optical phase shifting elements.

9. The optical feed network of claim 2 , further comprising: at least one 45° rotational key coupled to at least one output of the plurality of electro-optical phase shifting elements.

10. The optical feed network of claim 2 , further comprising:

a plurality of linear polarizers coupled to respective outputs of the plurality of electro-optical phase shifting elements.

11. The optical feed network of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of electro-optical phase shifting elements comprises a plurality of electro-optical phase modulators.

12. The optical feed network of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of electro-optical phase shifting elements further comprises a plurality of optically-based true time delay lines.

13. The optical feed network of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of electro-optical phase shifting elements comprises a plurality of optically-based true time delay lines.

14. A method of providing an array of radio frequency (RF) feed signals comprising a plurality of RF feed signals, the method comprising:

providing two optical signals having a frequency difference directly proportional to a desired RF frequency;

combining the two optical signals to obtain a combined optical signal;

splitting the combined optical signal to obtain a plurality of channel signals;

phase shifting the plurality of channel signals to obtain an array of phase-shifted signals, wherein the array of phase-shifted signals comprises a plurality of phase-shifted signals;

photodetecting the plurality of phase-shifted signals to obtain the plurality of RF feed signals; and

providing the plurality of RF feed signals to an array of a respective plurality of antennas.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising amplifying the combined optical signal prior to said splitting.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising controlling polarizations of the plurality of channel signals prior to said phase shifting.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein said controlling comprises obtaining and processing feedback signals from the plurality of RF feed signals to provide polarization control signals for controlling the polarizations of the plurality of channel signals.

18. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

projecting outputs of said phase shifting onto fast and slow axes using at least one 45° rotational key; and

performing linear polarization on outputs of the at least one 45° rotational key.

19. The method of claim 14 , further comprising conducting respective components of the combined optical signal, obtained by the combining the two optical signals, along fast and slow axes of a polarization maintaining fiber, wherein the respective components of the combined optical signal correspond to a first of the two optical signals and a second of the two optical signals, respectively.

20. A method of providing an array of radio frequency (RF) feed signals comprising a plurality of RF feed signals, the method comprising:

generating two optical signals using mutually coherent optical sources, wherein the two optical signals have a frequency difference directly proportional to a desired RF frequency;

combining the two optical signals to obtain a combined optical signal;

splitting the combined optical signal to obtain a plurality of channel signals;

phase shifting the plurality of channel signals to obtain an array of phase-shifted signals, wherein the array of phase-shifted signals comprises a plurality of phase-shifted signals; and

photodetecting the plurality of phase-shifted signals to obtain the plurality of RF feed signals.