Phased-array mapping for beamspace processing and beamspace processor

An RF receiver, comprising:

• an antenna array comprising a plurality of antenna elements configured to receive RF beams and provide corresponding RF electrical signals, the plurality of antenna elements being arranged in a first pattern;
• a plurality of electro-optic modulators, each electro-optic modulator being in communication with a corresponding one of the plurality of antenna elements to receive a corresponding RF electrical signal, the plurality of electro-optic modulators being configured to generate a corresponding modulated optical signal by mixing the corresponding RF electrical signal with an optical carrier signal;
• a plurality of channels, each channel being in communication with a corresponding one of the plurality of electro-optic modulators to receive and transmit a corresponding modulated optical signal, wherein ends of the channels are arranged in a second pattern;
• an interference space to receive the plurality of modulated optical signals transmitted by the plurality of channels at a first edge of the interference space, the modulated optical signals forming a plurality of optical beams in the interference space, each optical beam corresponding to a received RF beam, the interference space having one or more lenses to spatially separate the plurality of optical beams;
• and
• a sensor array comprising a plurality of sensors arranged at a second edge of the interference space to receive the spatially separate optical beams at respective sensors of the sensor array,
• wherein the first pattern of the antenna elements is different from the second pattern of the ends of the channels.

A method of RF signal processing, comprising:

• providing an optical carrier signal of a first frequency and a reference optical signal of a second frequency, the first frequency and the second frequency differing by a set amount,
• capturing a first RF beam by a plurality of antennas arranged in a two dimensional array to generate a corresponding plurality of RF electrical signals;
• generating a plurality of modulated optical signals by mixing the RF electrical signals with the optical carrier signal;
• forming a plurality of optical beams by simultaneously transmitting into an interference space each of the modulated optical signals out of plurality of channels terminating at a first edge of the interference space, the termination of the channels being arranged in a one dimensional array;
• focusing the optical beams to form separate discrete focused beams at a second edge of the interference space;
• and
• simultaneously receiving the separate discrete focused beams and extracting encoded information contained therein.

An RF transmitter, comprising:

• an interference space configured to receive N modulated optical signals transmitted at a first edge of the interference space to a second edge of the interference space, the N modulated optical signals forming N optical beams in the interference space that are superimposed with each other at the second edge of the interference space;
• a plurality of channels at the second edge of the interference space to capture the N optical beams as corresponding virtual beams within the channels;
• a plurality of photodetector each in communication with a corresponding channel to convert an optical signal received by the corresponding channel to a corresponding RF electrical signal;
• and
• an antenna array comprising a plurality of antenna elements each connected to a corresponding photodetector and configured to receive the corresponding RF electrical signal of the photodetector to generate a corresponding electromagnetic RF signal,
• wherein N is an integer greater than 1,
• wherein the antenna elements of the antenna array are arranged in a first pattern, and
• wherein ends of the channels are positioned at the second edge of the interference space and are arranged in a second pattern that is different from the first pattern.

A method of RF signal processing, comprising:

• providing an optical carrier signal of a first frequency and a reference optical signal of a second frequency, the first frequency and the second frequency differing by a set amount,
• modulating the optical carrier signal with N data streams to form N modulated optical signals, where N is an integer greater than 1;
• transmitting the N modulated optical signals as into an interference space at a first edge of the interference space with N optical waveguides arranged in a 1D array at the first edge, the N modulated optical signals respectively forming N optical beams in the interference space that are superimposed at a second edge of the interference space;
• capturing the N optical beams as corresponding virtual beams within channels arranged in a 1D array at the second edge of the interference space;
• converting optical signals of the channels to corresponding RF electrical signals;
• and
• receiving the RF electrical signals with respective antenna elements of an antenna array to operate the respective antenna elements to thereby simultaneously emit N separate RF beams by the antenna array,
• wherein each of the N modulated optical signals corresponds to an RF beam, and
• wherein the location of the corresponding one of the N optical waveguides determines a propagation direction of the corresponding RF beam.