STO-Activities: (no title)
Activity title:
Photonic Integrated Circuit Enhancements for Military Sensing, PNT & Communications
Activity Reference:
SET-ET-138
Panel:
SET
Security Classification:
NATO UNCLASSIFIED
Status:
Planning
Activity type:
ET
Start date:
2024-09-01T00:00:00Z
Actual End date:
2025-09-01T00:00:00Z
Keywords:
beam steering, navigation, nonmechanical, optical communications, photonic integrated circuits, positioning, sensing, SET, timing
Background:
The Optical Technologies Focus Group of SET has identified Photonic Integrated Circuits (PIC) as an area of growing interest for their performance capabilities, low losses, and future scalability pathway that can meet rising sensing, computation, and communication demands. Electronics are reaching limitations in some sensing, positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT), and communications applications. Active and passive PIC components with advanced functionality are creating new applications within military system architectures and are a major investment category for next generation systems.
PIC technology is already being developed for electro-optic systems that require the modulation, multiplexing, filtering, and routing of optical signals in optical communication relays and transceivers. Imaging systems are being prototyped with photonic communication outputs. Chip-scale timing and inertial measurement prototype systems are being built and tested to assess the attributes of the technology for PNT operations. Non-mechanical beam steering is being prototyped in PIC platforms for ranging and free-space optics communications. Development is underway of PIC platforms optimized for quantum photonics work, including the exploration of on-PIC entangled photon generation. There is also continuing optimization of PIC platforms for chemical and biological sensing.
Assured PNT and secure communications systems are increasingly needed on smaller platforms in contested environments. Military infrared imaging systems are generating increasingly large amounts of data to improve performance, which is stressing SWAP. An Exploratory Team will advise the SET available and emerging PIC technologies and proper insertion points for sensing, PNT, and battlefield communications.
Objectives:
The objectives of this new activity are to examine upcoming sensing, PNT, and communication system data requirements and SWAP limitations and understand how PIC technology can overcome legacy electronics solutions. This activity includes exploring existing and emerging integrated photonics technologies for to establish ‘’Best Practice’’ knowledge. The ET’s objectives will be to document the current status of PIC technology and how it can be manufactured and integrated into military sensing, PNT, and communications systems. Finally, the ET will identify the military systems which will gain the most combat advantage when utilizing PICs.
Topics:
• Emerging infrared imaging system, positioning, navigation, timing, and communications requirements and electronic circuit limitations
• Emerging photonics technology solutions including integrated optical modulation, integrated interferometers, chip-scale optical frequency combs, waveguide frequency conversion, low-noise signal generation, non-mechanical beam steering, on-chip spectroscopy, integrated RF/microwave photonics, low-loss optical interconnects
• Advanced electronic-photonic integration and packaging including chip stacking and photonic wirebonding
• Potential improvements of increased speed, lower energy consumption, improved interference resistance, and increased separation of the sensor head and data processing (when needed/beneficial)
Contact:
Open2Partners:
Title:
Created at 24/04/2024 12:00 by System Account
Last modified at 16/05/2024 10:00 by System Account
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