A Silicon Integrated Photonics-based Radar Operating in Multiple Bands

In this work we report the system description and characterization results of a photonics-based coherent integrated radar on Silicon-on-Insulator platform. The radar system is a software-defined architecture based on photonics, guaranteeing frequency flexibility and simultaneous coherent multiband operation. The system characterization has been performed and the results show the great potentiality of the photonics-based radar system for future generation of transceivers, as its multiband capability opens up the possibility of performing multi functionalities in a same device. Moreover, the system multiband capability allows a substantial reduction of size, weight and power consumption compared to purely electronic radar transceivers. Thanks to photonic integration the system dimensions are extremely reduced, making it suitable for high demanding applications where footprint can be a critical issue, as automotive and space applications.