Silicon photonics receive phased array sensors

A channelizer system, comprising:

• an array of N antenna receiving elements, where N≥1, that receive a free space radio frequency (RF) signal;
• the RF signal being a mixture of RF signals coming from all directions;
• wherein each of the receiving elements converts the received RF signal into an antenna element electrical signal;
• a single photonic integrated circuit (PIC), including:
• N optical modulators configured to receive optical carriers from N lasers, the N modulators modulate the optical carriers with the antenna element electrical signal received from a corresponding one of the antenna elements;
• wherein all output optical signals from the N modulators pass through a series of Y tunable filters;
• each filter in the series of tunable filters selects a frequency band for down-conversion, and passes a remaining modulated signal along to a next filter in the series of tunable filters;
• wherein a signal from each of the filters passes through a corresponding time delay (TD) element, each of the TD elements imparting an individual time delay;
• wherein the TD elements are followed by amplitude controllers that apply individual attenuations;
• each output of each of the amplitude controllers is combined in one of a set of Y couplers with a local oscillator signal from one of a set of Y local oscillators (LOs);
• wherein output signals from each of the set of LOs pass through a phase and amplitude control device prior to entering the one of the set of Y couplers;
• wherein, via a digital signal processor, all filters, bands, time delays, phase delays, and attenuations are selected to collectively provide from the free space RF signal only a RF signal band with chosen beam forming parameters;
• and
• wherein output optical signals from one of the set of Y couplers, and corresponding couplers from all other N antenna receiving elements, are combined in a combiner comprising at least one photodetector, said combiner outputting a single electrical output, the amplitude and phase of which comprise information about the RF signal band with chosen beam forming parameters received by the N antenna receiving elements.