Fast Electro-Optical RF Antenna Beam Steering

The capability to achieve dynamic control over the radiation pattern of an antenna is a crucial function to power a wide range of applications, including advanced wireless communications (e.g., 5G) and radars. Here, we demonstrate a new methodology to control antenna radiation patterns with optical signals, potentially integrable within a fiber network. The architecture encompasses an active radiation element (RF feed) and an array of reflectors with light-controllable impedances. This arrangement allows the integration of numerous RF-contrast elements in a small volume without a need to introduce a brunched wire network, which is demanded in classical realizations of beam steering arrays. Extreme multiplexing between frequency domains, linked by photosensitive diode elements, allows to benefit from the advantage of both technologies and superimpose RF-transparent optical fibers and microwave circuitry. Flexibility in switching between various electromagnetic degrees of freedom paves the way for innovative wireless applications that demand fast over 10s of MHz rates beam steering and beamforming capabilities.