Multiple-element photonic microwave true-time-delay beamforming incorporating a tunable chirped fiber Bragg grating with symmetrical bending technique

We experimentally demonstrate a novel scheme for a multiple-element photonic microwave true-time-delay device with high tunability based on a tunable chirped fiber Bragg grating without center wavelength shift. We achieve the different true time delay by controlling the grating period of a chirped fiber Bragg grating based on the symmetrical bending technique as a multiwavelength signal source is applied to carry microwave signals. The proposed method does not require the complex structure of systems, wavelength tuning, and synchronization of optical devices such as tunable bandpass filters and optical input signals. We achieve the tunabilty of the time delay for a microwave signal carried over an optical signal in a range from 1 to 230 ps. (C) 2007 Optical Society of America