Optical beamforming for satellite-based phased-array antenna systems can help reduce the payload weight and footprint by replacing the RF hardware with photonic integrated circuits. In this paper, simulation and measurement results are provided for 1×12 optical power splitters that provide a non-uniform Gaussian radio-frequency beam profile, thus eliminating the need for a separate amplitude modulation stage in the beamforming network. This both simplifies the optical beamforming network and reduces the total optical losses. Two splitter designs were studied: a star-coupler with non-uniform output waveguides and a cascade of tapered MMI couplers with unconstrained splitting ratios. These two designs are shown to achieve the target output power profile with insertion losses of 1.7 dB and 0.5 dB, respectively.
We have designed and fabricated micro-LiDAR chips based on 1D optical phased arrays (OPAs) that collimate light in the horizontal direction only. Thus, a cylindrical lens is needed for the vertical collimation. A part of the work demonstrates the analysis of 1D beam steering experiments through the direct outcoupling from the waveguide facets with two straight cylindrical lenses available commercially and a detailed analysis based on the parameters like Rayleigh range and beam divergence is presented. This work also demonstrates the characterizations of 3D printed curved cylindrical collimating lenses. A thorough analysis based on the experimental work resulted in certain suggestions to improve the collimation and to perform the beam steering in a better way.
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