High-power waveform generator

Apparatus for generating a low phase-noise RF signal for use in a radar system, comprising:

• a digital signal generator generating a digital data stream having binary amplitude values representative of an analog signal of at least a first RF frequency;
• a first filter circuit connected to the digital signal generator for providing an output of said analog signal of said first RF frequency;
• an analog signal generator generating a relatively low phase-noise analog signal of a second RF frequency;
• and
• a power combiner connected to said first filter circuit and said analog signal generator and outputting a composite signal of said analog signal of said first RF frequency and said low phase-noise analog signal of said second RF frequency;
• an array of series connected Josephson junctions coupled to said signal adder and being biased and excited by said composite signal to generate a digital data stream having quantum mechanically accurate binary amplitude values,
• a second filter circuit coupled across the Josephson junction array and being responsive to said digital data stream having quantum mechanically accurate binary amplitude values for generating a relatively low phase-noise analog signal of said analog signal of said at least said first RF frequency;
• and
• a signal mixer coupled to said analog signal generator and said second filter circuit, said mixer being responsive to both said low phase-noise analog signals generated thereby and then generating therefrom a low phase-noise RF output signal for use with radar transmitter apparatus in said radar system.

A method of generating a low phase-noise RF signal for use in a radar system comprising the steps of:

• generating a digital data stream having binary amplitude values representative of an analog signal of at least one frequency;
• generating a relatively low phase-noise analog signal of a second frequency;
• combining said digital data stream and said low phase-noise analog signal into a composite signal;
• feeding said composite signal to an array of series connected Josephson junctions and outputting therefrom a digital data stream having quantum mechanically accurate binary amplitude values;
• filtering said digital data stream having quantum mechanically accurate binary amplitude values to generate a relatively low phase-noise analog signal corresponding to said at least one frequency;
• and
• mixing said analog signals to generate an output signal comprising a low phase noise RF signal for use in the generation of an RF transmit pulse by said radar system.