Development of High-Power and High-Speed Photodiode Array for the Applications of Photonic-Millimeter Wave Monopulse Radar System

(Sub-) MMW radar technology attracts lots of attention in the recent years due to its much higher spatial resolution as compared to traditional microwave radar. By combing with photonic technology for MMW signal generation, modulation, and transmission, ultra-wide bandwidth chirped pulse have been proposed at both microwave and MMW regime for further enhancement in resolution of radar system. However, these reported photonic chirped pulse technology may only provide a way to overcome the electronic bottleneck in depth-resolution of existed radar technology. In order to realize the fully 3-dimensional (3-D) MMW imaging, quasi-optical approach, such as MMW parabolic mirror, is necessary.Nevertheless, due to the diffraction of focused MMW beam, a significant trade-off between maximum sensing distance and resolution usually happens based on such approach. In the development of radar technology, monopulse radar is one of the attractive approaches to release the trade-off between sensing distance and resolution. In this project, we will develop high-power, high-speed, and high reliable photodiode array structures for such application. By combing the developed ultra-wide bandwidth (>100 GHz) and high-power photonic emitter (photodiode) array at sub-THz regime with advanced optical pulse shaper technology, we will demonstrate a MMW-photonic monopulse radar with ultra-wide bandwidth of chirped pulse for high-resolution 3-D imagine.