Ultrafast and Wideband Microwave Photonic Frequency-Hopping Systems: A Review

Abstract

The increasing demands to enhance information security in data transmission, providing countermeasures against jamming in military applications, as well as boosting data capacity in mobile and satellite communication, have led to a critical need for high-speed frequency-hopping systems. Conventional electronics-based frequency-hopping systems suffer from low data rate, low hopping speed, and narrow hopping-frequency bandwidth. Unfortunately, those are important aspects to facilitate frequency-hopping in emerging microwave systems. The recent advancement of microwave photonics—the use of light to process microwave signals—provides promising solutions to tackle the challenges faced by electronic frequency-hopping systems. In this paper, the challenges of achieving real-time frequency-hopping systems are examined. The operation principles and results of various microwave photonics-enabled frequency-hopping systems are comprehensively discussed, which have wide hopping-frequency bandwidth and frequency-hopping speed from nanoseconds to tens of picoseconds. Lastly, a bio-inspired jamming-avoidance system that could potentially be used for adaptive frequency-hopping is also introduced.

Photonic Generation of Multiform Microwave Frequency Shift Keying Signal

“…The adopted parameters of the system are set according to actual device parameters which are listed in Table .I. The MSG (1) is employed in the generation process of microwave FSK signal with FMF of 2/4, and the MSG (2) is employed in the generation process of microwave FSK signal with flexible tunable subcarrier frequencies. (1) Frequency: 5 GHz Amplitude: 2.34 V MSG (2) Frequency: 2 GHz and 5 GHz Amplitude: 1 V PD Responsivity: 1 A/W PPG Rise/Fall time: 0.05 bit…”

“…Microwave frequency shift keying (FSK) signal, featuring strong anti-jamming ability and anti-interception ability, has been widely used in wireless communication, radar, electronic warfare systems [1], [2]. Traditionally, the generation method of microwave FSK signal is based on electronic devices in the electrical domain, resulting in the limited operating frequency, small tunability and low bitrate due to the well-known electronic bottleneck.…”

Multi-Band and Frequency-Agile Chip-Based RF Photonic Filter for Ultra-Deep Interference Rejection

“…R ADIO frequency (RF) notch filters that operate over multiple frequency bands with reconfigurable responses are highly sought after for use in RF front ends [1]. Large stopband rejection is required to mitigate agile frequency hopping interference used for wireless communications [2] and to prevent damage to sensitive electronics from high power jamming signals. Conventional RF electronic filters that rely on fixed cavities [3] or surface acoustic waves [4], [5] are typically limited to a single RF resonance and are fundamentally unable to demonstrate wideband response reconfigurability and flexibility.…”

“…Recent implementations of MWP systems on photonic integrated circuits (PICs) offer advantages of small size, weight and power (SWaP) over their optical-fibre-based predecessors [13]- [20]. As a result, chip-based MWP notch filters have attracted great interest due to their frequency agility and reconfigurability, whilst maintaining high-performance [2].…”

A Flexible Multi-Format Signal Generation Method Based on Optically Coupled Selector Switch

“…Thanks to the advantages of broad bandwidth, high operating frequency, large tunability, and immunity to the electromagnetic interference [8][9][10], microwave photonic has been providing a new solution for microwave signal generation with different modulation formats. So far, a variety of schemes have been consecutively proposed [11], which can be primarily classified into four categories.…”