In this chapter, we review the worldwide progress referred to designing optical beamforming networks intended to the next-generation ultra-wideband millimeter-wave phased array antennas for incoming fifth-generation wireless systems, which in recent years is under the close attention of worldwide communication community. Following the tendency, we study in detail the design concepts below true-time-delay photonics beamforming networks based on switchable or continuously tunable control. Guided by them, we highlight our NI AWRDE CADbased simulation experiments in the frequency range of 57-76 GHz on design of two 16-channel photonics beamforming networks using true-time-delay approach. In the first scheme of the known configuration, each channel includes laser, optical modulator, and 5-bit binary switchable chain of optical delay lines. The second scheme has an optimized configuration based on only 3-bit binary switchable chain of optical delay lines in each channel, all of which are driven by four lasers with wavelength division multiplexing and a common optical modulator. In the result, the novel structural and cost-efficient configuration of microwave-photonics beamforming network combining wavelength division multiplexing and true-time-delay techniques is proposed and investigated.

In this chapter, elaborating the direction of designing photonics-based beamforming networks (BFN) for millimeter-wave (mmWave) antenna arrays, we review the worldwide progress referred to designing multiple-beam photonics BFN and highlight our last simulation results on design and optimization of millimeterphotonics-based matrix beamformers. In particular, we review the specialties of mmWave photonics technique in 5G mobile networks of Radio-over-Fiber (RoF) technology based on fiber-wireless architecture. In addition, the theoretical background of array antenna multiple-beam steering using ideal models of matrix-based phase shifters and time delay lines is presented including a general analysis of radiation pattern sensitivity to compare updated photonics beamforming networks produced on phase shifter or true-time delay approach. The principles and ways to optimized photonics BFN design are discussed based on the study of photonics BFN scheme including integrated 8Â8 optical Butler matrix (OBM). All schemes are modeled using VPIphotonics Design Suite and MATLAB software tools. In the result of simulation experiments, the outcome is obtained that both the integrated optical Butler matrix itself and the BFN based on it possess an acceptable quality of beams formation in a particular 5G pico-cell.

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