Photonic RF phase shifter and tunable photonic RF notch filter

A new photonic RF phase shifter structure for phased array antennas is presented. It is based on a single dual-output modulator and two optical switches and optical attenuators. This can realize continuous phase shifting of 0°-360° without altering the signal amplitude. It has the advantages of wide bandwidth, fast response time, and fine tuning resolution. Experimental results demonstrate phase shifts over a 360° phase range, with RF signal power changes of less than 0.2 dB, which is in close agreement with predictions. A tunable photonic RF notch filter, which is based on the new phase shifter, is also presented. Experimental results demonstrate continuous tuning of the photonic notch filter over a wide tuning range, which covers the full free spectral range, which is in good agreement with predictions. © 2006 IEEE.