Hybrid correlator employing a chirp-encoded binary phase-only filter

Abstract

A novel correlator architecture is described that is similar to the VanderLugt correlator (VLC) but differs because the input Fourier transform (FT) is performed electronically rather than optically. We present results in which the FT's are reduced to binary phase-only filters (BPOF's); the required multiplication of the input and the reference FT's (performed optically in the VLC) is performed electronically simply by use of a single XOR logic gate. The problematic zero order and symmetric correlation peak are shown to be removed by use of a chirp-encoded BPOF.