US 12,482,934 B2
Systems and methods for beamforming using an array of phase change materials
Mahsa Salmani, Vaughan (CA); Sreenil Saha, Longueuil (CA); Enxiao Luan, Vancouver (CA); and Armaghan Eshaghi, Aurora (CA)
Assigned to HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD., Shenzhen (CN)
Filed by HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD., Shenzhen (CN)
Filed on Oct. 6, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/961,362.
Prior Publication US 2024/0120652 A1, Apr. 11, 2024
Int. Cl. H01Q 3/36 (2006.01)
CPC H01Q 3/36 (2013.01) 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A signal processing system for wireless communication, the system comprising:
a photonic Cartesian complex-weighting module having:
first optical waveguides each having a respective input port configured to receive a respective optical signal;
second optical waveguides distinct from the first optical waveguides, the second optical waveguides each having a respective output port;
a plurality of phase change material (PCM) couplers, each of the first optical waveguides being coupled to each of the second optical waveguides by respective PCM couplers of the plurality of PCM couplers, each PCM coupler of the plurality of PCM couplers configured to receive a respective electrical control signal to control an intensity of light coupled from a respective first optical waveguide into a respective second optical waveguide, a light intensity at the output port of each respective second optical waveguide being a weighted sum of the intensity of light coupled from each of the first optical waveguides into the respective second optical waveguide, the weighted sum being a function of the electrical control signals received at the respective PCM couplers that control the intensity of light coupled from the first optical waveguides into the respective second optical waveguide;
a plurality of optical detector devices (ODDs), each of which coupled to a pair of output ports of a respective pair of second optical waveguides and configured to output a detector electrical signal indicative of a difference between a light intensity in a first one of the second optical waveguides of the pair of second optical waveguides and a light intensity in a second one of the second optical waveguides of the pair of second optical waveguide, each ODD being electrically coupled to one other ODD to form a pair of ODDs to produce a combined detector electrical signal;
an input module coupled to the photonic Cartesian complex-weighting module and configured to generate each respective optical signal and to provide each respective optical signal to a respective first optical waveguide; and
an output module coupled to the Cartesian complex-weighing module and configured to process the combined detector electrical signals.