Technologies for RF photonics in wideband multifunction systems

RF photonics technologies will enable future wideband multifunction systems used in electronic warfare, communications, sensing, and radar applications to become easily reconfigured and cover broad regions of the spectrum. Photonics allow broad regions of the spectrum to be covered with a single link. Tuning the optical oscillator enables a down conversion of the signal to a common IF, reducing the number of components required as a single receiver can be used to cover the whole spectrum. RF-over-fiber enables heavy stove-piped RF cabling tied to specific frequencies to be replaced by lightweight fiber that can be used for any RF frequency. Integrated photonics technology can provide the ultra stable oscillators needed for future systems, enabling today's specialized laboratory-only equipment to fielded in future systems. Photonic mixing and switching technology enables apertures to be used for multifunctions (like RADAR and communications) without having to change the “boxes” generating and processing the signals. RF photonic technology can enable broadly tunable receivers and transmitters that can provide wide instantaneous bandwidth (BW) anywhere over broad ranges of spectrum with a single receiver. These technologies will allow future systems to be adaptable to a broad range of capabilities, enabling the hardware to be easily reconfigurable depending on the application and mission need.