Apparatus and methods for receiving signals using optical lens as a beamformer

A method, comprising:

• receiving, at a first input port of a plurality of input ports of a switch matrix, a first electrical signal, the first electrical signal corresponding to a received signal at antennas of an antenna array, the received signal corresponding to a first transmission spatial sector of the antenna array, the first electrical signal having been generated by one or more signal conversion circuits from a first optical signal converted from the received signal at the antennas of the antenna array;
• directing, via a first output port of a plurality of output ports of the switch matrix and in accordance with a first control signal, the first electrical signal to a first signal conversion path of a plurality of signal conversion paths;
• separating, by frequency band isolation circuitry in the first signal conversion path, the first electrical signal into a first signal portion in a first frequency band and a second signal portion in a second frequency band;
• modulating, by the frequency band isolation circuitry in the first signal conversion path, a reference signal with the second signal portion to generate a frequency-shifted second signal portion;
• and
• combining, by the frequency band isolation circuitry in the first signal conversion path, the first signal portion and the frequency-shifted second signal portion to generate a modified first electrical signal that corresponds to the received signal at the antennas of the antenna array.