High-Fidelity Analog Fiber Optics and Photonics for Military Applications

Introduction: Radio-frequency (RF) photonics provides increased or previously unavailable capabilities for many military platforms and applications. As compared to electronic approaches, photonics offers increased transmission distances in antenna-remoting applications, unrivaled bandwidth in signal-processing and other electromagnetic-warfare applications, and decreased size and weight in numerous military platforms. In addition, fiber optics as a transmission medium offers invulnerability to electromagnetic interference and near-complete electrical isolation. We describe advances in the theoretical understanding of analog-photonic systems made at NRL in 2007, along with the accompanying record-setting performance demonstrated in our experiments. We have applied our expertise to the design and implementation of two state-of-the-art prototype systems for military antenna-remoting and electromagnetic-warfare applications. Each of these prototypes and their significance are described below.