Optical Beam Forming: Lidar, Radar, Bio Scanner, 5G and More

Dear Colleagues,

There are different types of beam forming technologies, such as electronic digital beam forming and electronic analogue beam forming versus optical beam forming based on integrated photonics. In this Special Issue, we are targeting technologies and specific applications using the optical beam forming concept, where integrated photonics enable addressing applications that require low-cost, scalable, reliable, and compact solutions. The scope of this issue includes but is not limited to Lidar, microwave photonics, 5G applications, satellite optical communication, scanning photonic building blocks, OBF for advanced radar, and OBF for bio- and life science applications (skin scanner, OCT, dental scanner).

This concept is a powerful tool to manipulate the light signal directly (e.g., lidar or free space optical communication (li-fi, satellite communication), bio scanners) or the radio frequency signal on the optical carrier indirectly (5G beam former, flexible SAR radar). OBF using a photonic integrated circuit provides distinct features that are important and essential for certain applications. For example, flexibility is achieved, which can be beneficial in attempts to manipulate both the phase and amplitude of each beam former channel independently, where a broadband operation is required, unlike in RF counterparts, which are narrowband. Compactness and potentially low power can also be achieved by avoiding discrete components (laser, modulator, detector, circulator, etc.) and introducing integrated photonic circuits with a lower coupling loss and more compactness, while scalability can be achieved using the wafer-scale approach to address the volume production and cost issue.

Dr. Amin Abbasi
Guest Editor

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