Interference cancellation system including radio frequency (RF) dispersive delay filter and related methods

An interference cancellation system comprising:

• a radio frequency (RF) transmitter configured to generate an RF interference signal;
• an RF receiver configured to receive an RF input signal comprising a signal of interest component and an RF interference signal component from the RF transmitter;
• an electro-optical (EO) modulator configured to apply an interference cancellation phase shift to the RF interference signal;
• an optical-to-electrical (OE) converter;
• an optical path between the EO modulator and OE converter;
• a controllable time delay unit coupled along the optical path;
• an RF dispersive delay filter connected to the OE converter and comprising
• a substrate,
• an input and an output carried by the substrate;
• a conductive transmission line carried by the substrate between the input and output, and
• at least one delay feature coupled to the conductive transmission line;
• and
• a coupler connected to the RF dispersive delay filter and the RF receiver to subtract the RF interference signal component from the RF input signal thereby producing the signal of interest component.

A radio frequency (RF) dispersive delay filter for an interference cancellation system comprising a radio frequency (RF) transmitter configured to generate an RF interference signal, an RF receiver configured to receive an RF input signal comprising a signal of interest component and an RF interference signal component from the RF transmitter, an electro-optical (EO) modulator configured to apply an interference cancellation phase shift to the RF interference signal, an optical-to-electrical (OE) converter, an optical path between the EO modulator and OE converter, and a coupler connected to the RF dispersive delay filter and the RF receiver to subtract the RF interference signal component from the RF input signal thereby producing the signal of interest component, the RF dispersive delay filter coupled to the OE converter, the RF dispersive delay filter comprising:

• a substrate;
• an input carried by the substrate and to be connected to the OE converter;
• an output carried by the substrate and to be connected to the coupler;
• a conductive transmission line carried by the substrate between the input and output;
• and
• at least one delay feature coupled to the conductive transmission line.

A method of interference cancellation comprising:

• operating a radio frequency (RF) transmitter to generate an RF interference signal;
• receiving, using an RF receiver, an RF input signal comprising a signal of interest component and an RF interference signal component from the RF transmitter;
• applying, using an electro-optical (EO) modulator, an interference cancellation phase shift to the RF interference signal;
• operating an optical-to-electrical (OE) converter;
• operating an RF dispersive delay filter connected to the OE converter;
• and
• operating a coupler connected to the RF dispersive delay filter and the RF receiver to subtract the RF interference signal component from the RF input signal thereby producing the signal of interest component.