Discrimination of wireless electromagnetic signals by electro-optic modulators using an array of patch antennas embedded with orthogonal gaps

Abstract

We proposed a new wireless electromagnetic signal discrimination device using electro-optic modulators and an array of planar patch antennas embedded with orthogonal gaps. Wireless electromagnetic signals can be detected and converted directly to lightwave signals through optical modulation. The magnitude, phase, and polarization of the wireless signal can be measured precisely and identified. By using meandering gap structures, the directivity of the wireless signal conversion can be tuned more precisely. Furthermore, the directivity of the wireless signal conversion in two-dimensional space can also be obtained by comparing two orthogonal modulated lightwave signals from two orthogonal optical waveguides. The design and analysis of the device and experiments at an operational frequency of 26 GHz are presented.