EP0519772A1 - Mikrowellenantenne mit optoelektronisch gesteuertem Absuchen - Google Patents

Mikrowellenantenne mit optoelektronisch gesteuertem Absuchen Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0519772A1
EP0519772A1 EP92401383A EP92401383A EP0519772A1 EP 0519772 A1 EP0519772 A1 EP 0519772A1 EP 92401383 A EP92401383 A EP 92401383A EP 92401383 A EP92401383 A EP 92401383A EP 0519772 A1 EP0519772 A1 EP 0519772A1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
array
elementary
microwave
photoconductive elements
reflectors
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
EP92401383A
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English (en)
French (fr)
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EP0519772B1 (de
Inventor
Georges Cachier
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Thales SA
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Thomson CSF SA
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Publication date
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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
    • H01Q3/00—Arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern of the waves radiated from an antenna or antenna system
    • H01Q3/44—Arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern of the waves radiated from an antenna or antenna system varying the electric or magnetic characteristics of reflecting, refracting, or diffracting devices associated with the radiating element
    • H01Q3/46—Active lenses or reflecting arrays
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
    • H01Q3/00—Arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern of the waves radiated from an antenna or antenna system
    • H01Q3/26—Arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern of the waves radiated from an antenna or antenna system varying the relative phase or relative amplitude of energisation between two or more active radiating elements; varying the distribution of energy across a radiating aperture
    • H01Q3/2676—Optically controlled phased array

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a microwave antenna using, for the pointing of its beam, a network of elementary reflectors with active elements capable of modifying, at will, under the control of an optical command, the length of the path of penetration of the microwave waves in the network reflectors to generate phase shifts varying from one elementary reflector to another and ensure the pointing of the antenna beam.
  • a known antenna of this kind has a reflector produced from a substrate made of a dielectric material with low losses for microwave waves, transparent to light, such as silica oxide SiO2 or crystallized alumina AL2 O3 .
  • this substrate On the side exposed to microwave frequencies, this substrate is coated with photoconductive elements insulated from one another by an electrically insulating material, possibly covered with an opaque layer transparent to microwave frequencies, and arranged in a network with a mesh pitch equal to ⁇ / 2 to avoid multiple angles of reflection, ⁇ being the wavelength of the microwaves considered.
  • a light-transparent electrode made of an electrically conductive material such as ITO tin oxide.
  • the photoconductive elements which can be made of "intrinsic" silicon, that is to say insulating, are lit or not on command through the substrate and the transparent electrode, for example using a liquid crystal screen plated against the substrate on the transparent electrode and lit by a light source. When illuminated, they become electrically conductive and reflect microwave waves before they enter the substrate. When they are not lit, they are electrically insulating and allow themselves to be passed through by microwave waves which penetrate through the substrate and are reflected on the transparent electrode. If the propagation delay through the thicknesses of the photoconductive elements and of the substrate is close to an odd number of quarter-periods of the microwave wave, the phase shift obtained between microwave waves depending on whether they meet an illuminated photoconductive element or a unlit photoconductive element is ⁇ .
  • the object of the present invention is to remedy these difficulties and to make it possible to obtain phase shifters controllable with more than two phase states in a network of reflectors for microwave waves while retaining for the array of reflectors a simple three-layer structure formed of a substrate of dielectric material with low loss transparent to light carrying, on the side exposed to microwave frequencies, an array of photoconductive elements and, on the opposite side, a conductive electrode transparent to the light.
  • an optoelectronic scanning microwave antenna provided on the one hand, with an array of elementary reflectors with optically controlled phase shifters comprising a substrate made of a dielectric material with low microwave losses, transparent to light, coated on the exposed side at microwave frequencies, a layer of photoconductive elements distributed in a network, and, on the opposite side, a conductive electrode transparent to light, and on the other hand, means for selective illumination of the photoconductive elements capable of passing the latter from an electrically insulating state to a conductive state and vice versa.
  • This antenna is remarkable in that the network of photoconductive elements has a mesh which oversamples the mesh of the network of elementary reflectors.
  • each elementary reflector groups together n2 photoconductive elements, n being the oversampling rate, a greater or lesser proportion of which is illuminated, which gives it different phase states staggered from a minimum value obtained when all of its photoconductive elements are lit up to a maximum value obtained when all of its photoconductive elements are in the dark.
  • the microwave antenna shown in Figure 1 operates around 94 GHz. It comprises a horn 1 which illuminates with a microwave wave a plane array 2 of elementary reflectors placed in front of a liquid crystal screen 3 lit by a light source 4 through a focusing optic 5.
  • the network of elementary reflectors is in the form of a flat disc about 10 cm in diameter. It consists of a substrate 20 made of a dielectric material with low microwave losses, transparent to light, such as Silica oxide Si 02 or crystallized alumina AL2 03. On the side facing the horn 1, which is exposed to microwave frequencies, this substrate 20 carries a layer 21 of photoconductive elements such as silicon or gallium arsenide which are isolated from one another and distributed over the surface of the substrate to oversample the mesh of a network of elementary reflectors with the step of ⁇ / 2 here, approximately 1.5 mm. On the side opposite the horn 1, the substrate 20 is coated with a conductive electrode 22 transparent to light which is, for example, made of tin oxide.
  • the liquid crystal screen 3 is pressed against the conductive electrode 22 of the substrate 20. It comprises an array of pixels which faithfully reproduce the distribution of the photoconductive elements 21 carried by the substrate 20 and which can be made, on command, either transparent , or opaque in order to selectively cause the lighting of the photoconductive elements placed in their extension.
  • the light source 4 can be a network of light-emitting diodes or of lasers providing a power of 30 to 50 Watts continuously at a wavelength of 0.8 ⁇ m approximately.
  • FIG. 2 represents the variations of the reflection coefficient under normal incidence and of the reflection phase shift, as a function of the resistivity, for silicon used as photoconductor. It shows that it is possible to pass from a total reflection to an almost total transmission of microwave waves with silicon whose resistivity varies from 0.1 ohm. cm approximately at more than 1000 ohm. cm depending on its illumination. It also shows that there is a lighting condition for which the silicon completely absorbs the microwave frequencies. This effect can be used to make the antenna absorbent, therefore stealthy for a detection system.
  • FIG. 4 gives an example of distribution of the photoconductive elements on the surface of the substrate 20.
  • These oversample the mesh of the network of elementary reflectors at the pitch of ⁇ / 2 represented in solid lines, with a mesh four times finer represented in dotted lines .
  • each elementary reflector is formed of a paving of 16 photoconductive elements 1a; ..., 4d which it is possible to illuminate individually via the pixels of the liquid crystal screen in order to make them at will. insulators or conductors.
  • a horizontal polarization and a vertical polarization see the same phase shift if the photoconductive surface made conductive has a shape preserved in a rotation of ⁇ / 2.

Landscapes

  • Variable-Direction Aerials And Aerial Arrays (AREA)
  • Liquid Crystal (AREA)
EP92401383A 1991-06-18 1992-05-21 Mikrowellenantenne mit optoelektronisch gesteuertem Absuchen Expired - Lifetime EP0519772B1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR9107422 1991-06-18
FR9107422A FR2678112B1 (fr) 1991-06-18 1991-06-18 Antenne hyperfrequence a balayage optoelectronique.

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0519772A1 true EP0519772A1 (de) 1992-12-23
EP0519772B1 EP0519772B1 (de) 1995-06-21

Family

ID=9413948

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP92401383A Expired - Lifetime EP0519772B1 (de) 1991-06-18 1992-05-21 Mikrowellenantenne mit optoelektronisch gesteuertem Absuchen

Country Status (4)

Country Link
US (1) US5262796A (de)
EP (1) EP0519772B1 (de)
DE (1) DE69203044T2 (de)
FR (1) FR2678112B1 (de)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0680111A1 (de) * 1994-04-29 1995-11-02 Hollandse Signaalapparaten B.V. Mikrowellenantenne mit einstellbarer Strahlungscharakteristik
NL9400863A (nl) * 1994-05-26 1996-01-02 Hollandse Signaalapparaten Bv Instelbare microgolfantenne.
US20150180122A1 (en) * 2013-12-24 2015-06-25 The Boeing Company Integral rf-optical phased array module

Families Citing this family (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2763746B1 (fr) 1997-05-23 1999-07-30 Thomson Csf Procede et dispositif pour connecter deux elements millimetriques
FR2769130B1 (fr) 1997-09-30 2001-06-08 Thomson Csf Procede d'enrobage d'une puce electronique et carte electronique comportant au moins une puce enrobee selon ce procede
US6091371A (en) * 1997-10-03 2000-07-18 Motorola, Inc. Electronic scanning reflector antenna and method for using same
US6232931B1 (en) 1999-02-19 2001-05-15 The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Navy Opto-electronically controlled frequency selective surface
US6597327B2 (en) * 2000-09-15 2003-07-22 Sarnoff Corporation Reconfigurable adaptive wideband antenna
US6621459B2 (en) 2001-02-02 2003-09-16 Raytheon Company Plasma controlled antenna
GB0323123D0 (en) * 2003-10-03 2003-11-05 Roke Manor Research Electronically steerable fresnel zone antenna
GB0706301D0 (en) * 2007-03-30 2007-05-09 E2V Tech Uk Ltd Reflective means
US8044866B2 (en) * 2007-11-06 2011-10-25 The Boeing Company Optically reconfigurable radio frequency antennas
US9966647B1 (en) * 2016-06-20 2018-05-08 The United States Of America, As Represented By The Secretary Of The Navy Optically defined antenna

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2225122A (en) * 1988-11-09 1990-05-23 Emi Plc Thorn An apparatus for producing a phase shift in a beam of electromagnetic radiation
US5014069A (en) * 1989-09-15 1991-05-07 The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Air Force Photoconductive antenna modulator
EP0442562A1 (de) * 1990-02-16 1991-08-21 Hollandse Signaalapparaten B.V. Antennensystem mit verstellbarer Strahlbreite und Strahlrichtung

Family Cites Families (12)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2264434B1 (de) * 1974-03-12 1976-07-16 Thomson Csf
FR2346897A1 (fr) * 1975-01-22 1977-10-28 Thomson Csf Circuit millimetrique hyperfrequence
FR2346854A1 (fr) * 1975-10-02 1977-10-28 Thomson Csf Circuit integre comportant une source d'ondes millimetriques, et procede de fabrication dudit circuit
FR2351503A1 (fr) * 1976-05-11 1977-12-09 Thomson Csf Procede de realisation d'un circuit pour ondes millimetriques comportant une diode semi-conductrice et un autre composant semi-conducteur, et dispositifs realises par ledit procede
FR2368151A1 (fr) * 1976-10-15 1978-05-12 Thomson Csf Source d'ondes millimetriques a l'etat solide comportant un aerien directif integre
FR2421478A2 (fr) * 1978-03-31 1979-10-26 Thomson Csf Source d'ondes millimetriques a l'etat solide comportant un aerien directif
FR2423088A1 (fr) * 1978-04-14 1979-11-09 Thomson Csf Source d'ondes millimetriques comportant un module oscillateur et un module d'accord a capacite variable, et emetteur comportant une telle source
FR2452201A1 (fr) * 1979-03-23 1980-10-17 Thomson Csf Melangeur symetrique pour ondes millimetriques et recepteur utilisant un tel melangeur
FR2458819A1 (fr) * 1979-06-12 1981-01-02 Thomson Csf Tete hyperfrequence d'emission et de reception simultanees, emetteur-recepteur en ondes millimetriques et radar utilisant une telle tete
US4479131A (en) * 1980-09-25 1984-10-23 Hughes Aircraft Company Thermal protective shield for antenna reflectors
JP2508707B2 (ja) * 1987-04-28 1996-06-19 三菱電機株式会社 光制御アンテナ装置
FR2628893B1 (fr) * 1988-03-18 1990-03-23 Thomson Csf Interrupteur hyperfrequence

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2225122A (en) * 1988-11-09 1990-05-23 Emi Plc Thorn An apparatus for producing a phase shift in a beam of electromagnetic radiation
US5014069A (en) * 1989-09-15 1991-05-07 The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Air Force Photoconductive antenna modulator
EP0442562A1 (de) * 1990-02-16 1991-08-21 Hollandse Signaalapparaten B.V. Antennensystem mit verstellbarer Strahlbreite und Strahlrichtung

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 13, no. 97 (E-723)(3445) 7 Mars 1989 & JP-A-63 269 807 ( MITSUBISHI ) *

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0680111A1 (de) * 1994-04-29 1995-11-02 Hollandse Signaalapparaten B.V. Mikrowellenantenne mit einstellbarer Strahlungscharakteristik
US5585812A (en) * 1994-04-29 1996-12-17 Hollandse Signaalapparaten B.V. Adjustable microwave antenna
NL9400863A (nl) * 1994-05-26 1996-01-02 Hollandse Signaalapparaten Bv Instelbare microgolfantenne.
US20150180122A1 (en) * 2013-12-24 2015-06-25 The Boeing Company Integral rf-optical phased array module
US9595757B2 (en) * 2013-12-24 2017-03-14 The Boeing Company Integral RF-optical phased array module

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
FR2678112A1 (fr) 1992-12-24
US5262796A (en) 1993-11-16
FR2678112B1 (fr) 1993-12-03
DE69203044T2 (de) 1995-11-02
DE69203044D1 (de) 1995-07-27
EP0519772B1 (de) 1995-06-21

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