Ultra-Wideband Microwave-Photonic Noise Radar Based on Optical Waveform Generation

A microwave-photonic ultra-wideband (UWB) noise radar system is proposed and demonstrated. The system brings together photonic generation of UWB waveforms and fiber-optic distribution. The UWB noise waveform is generated using the amplified spontaneous emission that is associated with either stimulated Brillouin scattering in a standard optical fiber, or with erbium-doped fiber amplification. Waveforms of more than 1-GHz bandwidth and arbitrary radio-frequency carriers are generated, and distributed over 10-km fiber to a remote antenna unit. Laboratory experiments demonstrate ranging measurements with 10-cm resolution.