Smart Active Antenna Arrays with Optical Processing

提出了一种具有光/数字处理后端的智能有源天线阵列前端的研制方案。其目的是证明：智能(自适应)天线改善了无线通信系统中的不利干扰影响；有源智能天线阵列增加了辐射功率，降低了成本和功耗，增加了动态范围，增加了可靠性，降低了成本；非线性光学元件提供了一种比数字信号处理更简单、潜在成本低的替代方案，并且可以很容易地与有源微波和毫米波阵列集成。干扰信号可以在空间和时间上变化，导致干扰依赖于时间以及用户和周围地区的物理位置。为了缓解干扰问题，智能天线创建了空分多址网络。目前，商用的智能天线无线系统并不多，但有几家公司已经使用智能天线来调整零位和减少干扰，在相同发射功率的情况下增加了范围和容量，同时还降低了维护成本。智能天线对供应商也很有吸引力，因为它们在系统增长时提供了灵活性。该方案中采用的方法包括一种新型的天线阵列自适应能力，通过一种新的前端架构，并辅以独特的非线性光学处理能力。具体的论点是：(1)在模拟前端引入自适应减轻了信号处理的负担，并且自适应在不增加成本(并且可能减少)的情况下变得更快和更节能；以及(2)可以有效地使用非线性全息光学处理来执行部分信号处理，同时降低了功耗、尺寸和成本。为了验证降低成本、体积和功耗的目标，提出了一个基准的DSP自适应处理器(4)。需要微波/毫米波有源天线阵列和非线性光学的跨学科专业知识，以及无线信道中的干扰特性的知识和对最实用的自适应算法的理解。参与这项工作的学生将获得广泛的知识基础，同时致力于具有挑战性的基础研究问题。这是与高通公司(无线通信领域的世界领先者)、法国汤姆森公司(光学控制天线波束形成领域的领先者之一)以及荷兰射电天文基金会(对自适应阵列有着浓厚兴趣的科学机构)合作的成果。*

9979355PopovicThe development of smart active antenna array front ends with optical/digital processing back ends is proposed. The objective is to demonstrate that:Smart (adaptive) antennas improve adverse interference effects in wirelesscommunication systems;Active smart antenna arrays increase radiated power with reduced cost and power consumption, increase dynamic range, increase reliability and reduce cost, with built-in angle-of arrival detection;Nonlinear optical components provide a simpler, potentially low-cost alternative todigital signal processing and can be easily integrated with active microwave andmillimeter-wave arrays.Interfering signals can be both spatially and temporally varying, causing interference to depend on time as well as on the physical location of the users and surrounding area. To mitigate interference problems, smart antennas create a spatial division multiple access network. Currently, there are not many commercially used smart antenna wireless systems, but several companies have used smart antennas to steer nulls and reduce interference, with increase range and capacity for the same transmitted power, with additional reduced maintenance cost. Smart antennas are also attractive to providers because they provide flexibility as systems grow. The approach taken in this proposal involves a new type of adaptivity for antenna arrays, through a new front end architecture, aided by unique capabilities of nonlinear optical processing. Specific arguments are that: (1) introducing adaptation at the analog front end eases the burden on the signal processing and adaptation becomes faster and more energy efficient with no cost increase (and possible decrease); and (2) nonlinear holographic optical processing can be efficiently used to perform part of the signal processing, with reduction in power consumption, size and cost..This proposal focuses on systems with: (1) a transmit/receive active lens antenna array front end; (2) resonant electro-optic conversion; and (3) nonlinear active optical interconnects. In order to validate the goals of cost, size and power consumption reductions, a benchmark DSP adaptive processor (4) is proposed.Interdisciplinary expertise in microwave/millimeter wave active antenna arrays, and nonlinear optics is needed, along with knowledge of the interference properties in a wireless channel and an understanding of the most practical adaptive algorithms. Students involved in this work will gain a broad knowledge base while working on challenging fundamental research problems. This is a collaborative effort with Qualcomm (a world leader in wireless communications), the French Thomson CSF (one of the leaders in optically controlled antenna beam-forming), and the Netherlands Foundation for RadioAstronomy (a scientific institution with strong interests in adaptive arrays).***