Ladderlike Switched-Path Optical Delay Lines

Abstract

Switched-path adjustable optical delay lines with ladderlike configurations proposed for use in photonically controlling phases of radio signals in radiating elements of phased-array antennas and in adaptive filtering of signals. Lines relatively simple, compact, easy to fabricate, and inexpensive. Switchable delay blocks stacked like building blocks to form incrementally adjustable delay lines. Delay lines also stacked to form high-density multiple-channel delay systems. To reduce number of blocks, heights of blocks increased successively by factor of 2, similar to crystal arrangement described in article "Switched-Polarization Birefringent Optical Delay Lines" (NPO-19412).