Plasma antenna system and method

Abstract

An antenna system and method for a plurality of plasma antennas driven by means of an optical driver. In one embodiment the driver comprises one or more lasers which may be modulated by one or more electro-optical modulators to produce a modulated laser signal. The modulated laser signal may be supplied to the plasma antenna by optical fibers whereby the photons from the modulated signal impart momentum to the plasma particles. The plasma particles, which may include unbound electrons, oscillate in accord with the modulated laser signal to radiate electromagnetic energy. In one embodiment, the plasma antenna is operated at a frequency near the resonant frequency of the plasma to form a more efficient radiator requiring a smaller size than to a metallic antenna. In another embodiment a plurality of closely spaced plasma antennas are operated with different plasma resonant frequencies such that one plasma antenna is electrically invisible with respect to another plasma antenna.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.