Microwave photon beam forming network architecture based on switch switching type optical adjustable true delay line and phased array radar system thereof

Abstract

The invention discloses a microwave photon beam forming network architecture based on a switch switching type optical adjustable true delay line and a phased array radar system thereof. According to the framework, microwave signals are modulated in an optical domain, and the characteristics of a plurality of adjustable delay paths in a single-channel switch switching type delay line are utilized, so that delay difference adjustment of multiple paths of optical signals is realized, the number of delay lines and delay units is greatly reduced, and meanwhile, high-precision and broadband beam-strabismus-free beam forming is supported; through two-stage or multi-stage delay configuration, the network can flexibly meet the broadband delay compensation requirements of different array antenna units, has low complexity and strong dynamic reconfigurable capability, is suitable for realization of a large-scale photonic integrated chip, reduces the number of delay lines by about 50%, does not generate frequency dispersion, and is suitable for large-scale photonic integrated chips. The system complexity, the cost and the power consumption can be remarkably reduced, and the method is particularly suitable for broadband phased array systems of millimeter waves, satellite communication, radar detection and the like.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of integrated optoelectronic devices, and in particular relates to an optically adjustable true delay line and a microwave photon beamforming network and a phased array radar system based on the device. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous development of high-frequency broadband wireless communications, satellite communications, and phased array radar systems, the demand for beamforming networks with large bandwidth, low loss, and high-precision delay control is becoming increasingly urgent. Microwave photonic beamforming networks, combining the advantages of optical fiber's wide bandwidth, low transmission loss, and resistance to electromagnetic interference, are gradually replacing traditional electronic phase shifters and becoming a hot topic in next-generation phased array system research.

[0003] In existing microwave photonic beamforming networks, optically adjustable delay lines are important components for antenna array element delay compensation and synthesis. Currently, mainstream adjustable delay lines are generally divided into three categories:

[0004] One approach is a wavelength-selective delay line, which combines an arrayed waveguide grating or Bragg grating with a multi-wavelength light source to achieve discrete or continuous delay adjustment of the optical signal. However, this approach relies on a precise and stable multi-wavelength laser source, resulting in high device complexity and cost, and hindering large-scale photonic integration.

[0005] The second approach is to achieve delay adjustment using cascaded microring structures. Microring delay lines can achieve continuously adjustable delays by adjusting the resonant wavelength and coupling coefficient. However, the delay-bandwidth product of a single microring is limited. When implementing large delays for wide-bandwidth signals, multiple microring cascades are often required. This not only increases structural complexity, but also makes microring devices extremely sensitive to temperature. Insufficient tuning precision and heating of on-chip adjustable devices can easily lead to significant signal crosstalk, making stable and reliable delay control difficult to achieve on large-scale integrated chips.

[0006] The third approach uses a switch-type delay line as the core, combining multi-bit optical switches and waveguides of varying lengths. This approach has the advantages of a wide operating bandwidth, low requirements for operating environment stability, insusceptibility to external factors such as temperature, and ease of production using integrated optical technology. However, to cover a wider range and achieve higher-precision delay control, a larger number of switch stages is required. If the extinction ratio of a multi-stage switch is limited, power leakage can accumulate and increase noise, leading to a decrease in system signal quality and increasing overall structural complexity and energy consumption.

[0007] In general, these three types of adjustable delay line architectures have been applied to varying degrees in microwave photonic beamforming networks. However, as the size of antenna arrays continues to expand, if the existing architecture is used, a large number of single-channel optical adjustable delay lines will be required to match the delay requirements of each antenna unit or sub-array, resulting in a significant increase in system power consumption and device footprint. At the same time, the large number of components will also increase the difficulty of design, preparation, and adjustment, reducing the economy and scalability of the beamforming system. Therefore, how to minimize the number of delay lines and simplify the system structure while maintaining high-precision and wide-bandwidth adjustable delay characteristics has become a problem that needs to be solved urgently in academia and industry.

[0008] To address this need, the present invention leverages the availability of multiple adjustable delay paths in switchable optical delay lines and proposes a beamforming network architecture that multiplexes single-channel delay lines and configures them hierarchically. By flexibly combining delay paths in the optical domain, this architecture not only ensures wide-range adjustable and high-precision delay compensation but also meets the demand for adjustable delay channels in larger-scale phased array systems with a smaller number of delay lines. This significantly reduces overall system energy consumption and cost, providing a more competitive solution for future broadband applications such as phased array radar, satellite communications, and next-generation 5G / 6G. Summary of the Invention

[0009] This invention aims to address the high loss, high complexity, low integration, and limited precision faced by existing microwave photonic beamforming networks in large-scale phased array applications. It provides a solution that reduces the number of delay components, lowers system energy consumption, and improves integration while maintaining high bandwidth and highly precise adjustable delay. To achieve this goal, the invention introduces a multi-level allocation and multiplexing mechanism based on a switch-type optically adjustable true delay line, enabling a single-channel delay line to simultaneously adjust the delay of two or more microwave optical signals. This allows for multi-channel delay difference adjustment and beam steering for large-scale antenna arrays while reducing the number of components.

[0010] The present invention proposes a microwave photonic beamforming network architecture with two-stage delay adjustment: the first-stage delay line is mainly used to achieve a preliminary discrete delay difference between a small number of input signals (such as two to four); then, the microwave optical signals with different delay amounts in each channel are further decomposed into more parallel channels through an optical beam splitter, and independent or differentiated delay compensation is performed separately through the second-stage switch-type delay line group. This multi-stage configuration mode can utilize a limited number of switch-type delay modules to provide high-precision, broadband and programmable delay control for larger antenna arrays (such as dozens or even hundreds of channels). In addition, the present invention can correct the discrete delay discontinuity problem during switching by adding a fixed or semi-fixed length delay waveguide to the optical signal input and output ports of the delay line, thereby achieving a smoother delay adjustment range and a higher beam emission deflection angle resolution.

[0011] Compared to directly using multi-channel, multi-bit switching delay lines to output a large number of microwave optical signals, this invention significantly reduces the total number of required optically adjustable delay lines by first adjusting the delay differences between multiple optical signals, then performing multi-channel splitting and adjusting them separately. This also avoids the cumulative crosstalk and noise increase caused by excessive switch cascades. This not only ensures reliability in higher ambient temperature or wider bandwidth scenarios, but also reduces overall system power consumption and integration difficulty.

[0012] In terms of implementation principles, the present invention is based on the core idea of ​​"multi-stage delay, delay line multiplexing", and obtains a wide range of programmable delay amounts by flexibly switching and combining different delay paths in the optical domain. Specifically, in the first-stage single-channel adjustable delay line, each delay line has at least n bits of discrete delay bits, and the optical signal path is selected by several built-in pairs of optical waveguides and optical switches, which can achieve different delay differences for two microwave optical signals at the same time. When there is a need for multi-channel delay, a small number of signals (for example, 2 or 4 channels) are further split into more channels through an optical beam splitter, and a second-stage m-channel n-bit switch-switched delay line is introduced to double the number of output signal paths, and finally 2m or more optical signals with different delay amounts are obtained at the output end to meet the beam pointing control requirements of large-scale antenna arrays.

[0013] At the device level, the present invention adopts the following key technical means to enhance the manufacturability of the integrated optical path platform:

[0014] (1) Optical switch design and substrate selection: This invention supports microring resonant or interferometric optical switches (such as MZI) based on carrier dispersion or thermo-optic effects, by integrating multi-channel optical waveguides and optical switches on silicon-on-insulator (SOI), lithium niobate, or silicon nitride platforms. Different substrate materials can be flexibly selected based on the central wavelength, environmental conditions, and cost requirements of specific applications, achieving low-loss, high-tuning efficiency, and miniaturized device integration.

[0015] (2) Discrete “bit” delay control: In an n-bit switch-type delay line, each bit corresponds to a pair of delay waveguides and a switch node. Its design follows a geometric series method, such as Δt, 2Δt, 4Δt…2 (n-1) Δt, and add fixed length waveguides at the input / output of the delay line to compensate for the delay discontinuity problem. By combining the "on" and "off" control of these optical switches, the speed from 0 to 2 can be quickly obtained. n - Switch between 1 different delay amounts.

[0016] (3) Multi-channel parallel operation: Unlike traditional single-channel delay lines, the single-channel adjustable delay line described in the present invention has four optical I / O ports, allowing at least two optical signals to pass through simultaneously, each executing a different delay path. In this way, simple differential delay control can be achieved in the first-stage delay line, and then each optical output can be simultaneously expanded to m parallel channels through a common or coupled 1×m optical splitter. When combined with a second-stage m-channel n-bit delay line, only a relatively small number of delay devices are required to achieve independent delay compensation for 2m or even more signals.

[0017] (4) Low power consumption and high scalability: Since the present invention uses a true delay line instead of a phase shifter, it can cover a wider operating frequency band, and the delay line itself is insensitive to factors such as temperature and bandwidth. Relying on the "discrete switching" of the optical switch instead of "continuous tuning", the need for additional micro-ring thermal tuning or high-precision multi-wavelength laser sources can be reduced in large-scale cascades, thereby reducing system power consumption and complexity. If the demand continues to expand (such as from 2m to 2m×k), it is only necessary to linearly expand the number of second-stage or multi-stage delay units, which does not significantly increase the loss and energy consumption of the overall structure.

[0018] Specifically, the technical solutions of the present invention are as follows:

[0019] A microwave photon beamforming network architecture based on a switchable optically adjustable delay line, wherein the network architecture comprises:

[0020] Laser, used to generate a continuously tunable optical carrier;

[0021] an electro-optical modulator, configured to modulate an input radio frequency signal onto the optical carrier to generate a microwave optical signal;

[0022] A 1×2 optical beam splitter is used to split the microwave optical signal into two microwave optical signals of equal power;

[0023] A single-channel n-bit switchable adjustable delay line, comprising n pairs of delay waveguides and n+1 optical switches, for performing first-order delay difference adjustment on the two microwave optical signals;

[0024] Two 1×m optical beam splitters, each used to split the two microwave optical signals after the first stage of delay adjustment into m beams;

[0025] An m-channel, n-bit switchable adjustable delay line group, each channel of which contains n pairs of delay waveguides and n+1 optical switches, is used to perform second-stage delay adjustment and output on the 2m-path microwave optical signal after splitting;

[0026] By combining and switching the delay paths of the single-channel and m-channel switch-type adjustable delay lines, 2m microwave optical signals with different delay amounts are output, thereby realizing electronic control of beam pointing.

[0027] Furthermore, the single-channel n-bit switch-type adjustable delay line includes:

[0028] -4 optical input / output ports, supporting parallel processing of two optical signals;

[0029] -n pairs of delay waveguides, the delay of each pair of delay waveguides increases in binary order, namely Δt, 2Δt, 4Δt...2^(n-1)Δt;

[0030] -n+1 optical switches, implemented using an MZI structure, operating based on carrier dispersion effect or thermo-optic effect;

[0031] - A fixed compensation waveguide, provided at the four optical input or output ports, for delay compensation, so that the overall output signal maintains a continuously or discretely adjustable delay accuracy.

[0032] Furthermore, each channel of the m-channel n-bit switch-type adjustable delay line has the same four optical input / output ports, n pairs of delay waveguides, and n+1 optical switches as the single-channel delay line, and can achieve discretely adjustable true delay compensation through multiple delay waveguides.

[0033] Furthermore, the optical switch in the n-bit switch-type adjustable delay line is implemented based on one or more of the following effects: linear electro-optic effect, carrier dispersion effect, thermo-optic effect, and other integrated optical device technologies that can realize the opening and closing or switching of optical paths.

[0034] Furthermore, the delay waveguide and optical switch are fabricated on a silicon-on-insulator platform (SOI platform), a lithium niobate (LiNbO3) platform or a silicon nitride (Si3N4) platform, and can be combined with a planar optical waveguide process to achieve highly integrated microwave photon beamforming functions.

[0035] Furthermore, the 1×2 optical beam splitter and the 1×m optical beam splitter are both equal-power beam splitters, and the optical powers obtained by each channel at the output end are equal, so as to ensure the balance and consistency of subsequent delay adjustment of each channel.

[0036] Furthermore, it also includes: a multi-channel photodetector array for converting the microwave optical signal output by the delay line chip into an electrical signal; a temperature control module for stabilizing the operating temperature of the delay line; a real-time monitoring circuit for feedback adjustment of the delay amount; and a programmable controller for realizing dynamic configuration of the delay amount.

[0037] Second, the present invention also provides a phased array radar system based on the above-mentioned network architecture, which is characterized in that it includes: a transmitting antenna array, including 2m antenna units; a receiving processing module; and a beam control computer; wherein the network architecture provides the transmitting antenna array with an excitation signal with a precise delay difference.

[0038] The present invention cascades a single-channel multi-bit switch-type delay line with an m-channel optically adjustable delay line, and uses multiple optical beam splitters to achieve beam splitting of microwave optical signals, thereby cleverly achieving the delay difference control of large-scale multi-channel microwave optical signals by a limited number of optical devices. This architecture is highly consistent with the urgent needs of next-generation military radars, satellite communications, and millimeter-wave broadband systems for low-loss, high-bandwidth, and scalable beamforming networks. It can complete the beam pointing and scanning control of microwave beams emitted by antenna arrays composed of dozens or even hundreds of antenna units under the premise of smaller chip size and lower energy consumption. Compared with various existing microwave photonic beamforming network architecture solutions based on adjustable optical delay lines, the present invention has obvious advantages in system integration, scalability, and reliability.

[0039] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0040] By using multi-stage optically adjustable delay lines to perform hierarchical adjustment on microwave optical signals and simultaneously utilizing multiple delay paths in a multi-channel n-bit switchable optically adjustable true delay line, the present invention significantly reduces the number of components and system complexity while achieving discretely adjustable true delay control for large-scale multi-channel microwave optical signals. This can significantly reduce the scale and complexity of beamforming networks while continuously expanding the scale of antenna arrays. Specifically:

[0041] (1) Reduce the demand for delay devices: A two-stage delay adjustment structure is adopted. Through the hierarchical combination of a small number of single-channel delay lines and multi-channel delay lines, several optical signals can be expanded into multiple parallel outputs, thereby significantly reducing the number of delay lines required for large-scale phased array antenna systems and their occupied area.

[0042] (2) High bandwidth and high precision: The use of a true delay structure rather than a phase-shifting approach overcomes the bandwidth and resolution limitations of traditional micro-ring or wavelength-selective delay lines. Because the delay is based on the physical fiber or waveguide length difference, it is not easily affected by external factors such as temperature, polarization, and frequency, ensuring a wider operating bandwidth and higher delay accuracy.

[0043] (3) Reduced system loss and power consumption: Compared to solutions that cascade a large number of microrings or complex wavelength tuning, this invention uses a small number of multi-bit discrete switches to reduce the optical power loss and thermal tuning energy consumption caused by cascading. At the same time, the simplified overall structure also reduces the requirements for optical power, drive circuits, and integration processes.

[0044] (4) Enhanced integration and scalability: Since the main components of the present invention can be integrated and manufactured on CMOS-compatible silicon-on-insulator (SOI), lithium niobate, or silicon nitride platforms, they are suitable for mass production and subsequent expansion. If larger-scale phased array control is required, it is only necessary to increase the number of multi-channel optically adjustable delay lines, while maintaining the same system architecture and interface.

[0045] (5) Adaptability to Multi-Scenario Broadband Applications: The architecture of this invention can cover the entire microwave domain, with outstanding multi-beam processing and high-speed signal transmission capabilities. It has broad applicability in satellite communications, 5G / 6G mobile communications, millimeter-wave radar, and other wireless communications, and is expected to achieve breakthroughs in channel capacity, array size, beamforming flexibility, and other indicators.

[0046] Therefore, the present invention has significant advantages in reducing device scale and improving system scalability and reliability. It can also meet the needs of next-generation military radars and large-scale communication antenna arrays for precise broadband beamforming, and provide key technical support for achieving high-performance and highly integrated microwave photonic networks. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0047] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of a microwave photon beamforming network architecture based on a switch-type delay line according to the present invention;

[0048] Figure 2 Single-channel n-bit tunable optical delay line;

[0049] Figure 3 This is an 8-element microwave photonic beamforming network architecture based on a switch-type 2-bit adjustable delay line according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0050] Figure 4 The delay of each channel of the microwave photon beamforming network architecture (state 1) in the embodiment of the present invention is

[0051] Figure 5 The delay of each channel of the microwave photon beamforming network architecture (state 2) in the embodiment of the present invention is

[0052] Figure 6 The delay of each channel of the microwave photon beamforming network architecture (state 3) in the embodiment of the present invention is

[0053] Figure 7 The delay of each channel of the microwave photon beamforming network architecture (state 4) in the embodiment of the present invention is DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0054] The present invention is further defined below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments, but the scope of protection of the present invention should not be limited thereby.

[0055] The present invention provides a microwave photon beamforming network architecture based on a switch-type optically adjustable true delay line, which realizes high-precision beam control of large-scale phased array antennas through multi-level delay adjustment and optical beam splitting and multiplexing technology. Figure 1 As shown in the figure, the microwave photonic beamforming network architecture mainly consists of the following parts:

[0056] (1) Laser, which provides a stable, single-mode or multi-mode optical carrier and outputs an optical signal suitable for subsequent modulation;

[0057] (2) Electro-optical modulator, which modulates the input RF signal onto an optical carrier to generate a microwave optical signal;

[0058] (3) 1×2 optical beam splitter, which divides the modulated microwave optical signal into two equal power paths, providing the initial input for subsequent hierarchical delay and beam splitting;

[0059] (4) Single-channel n-bit switch-type adjustable delay line, used for the first-level adjustment of the delay difference between the two microwave optical signals, and with the help of the built-in multiple pairs of optical waveguides and optical switches, to achieve true delay compensation. The single-channel n-bit adjustable optical delay line has at least 4 optical input / output ports (I1, I2, O1, O2), and contains n pairs of delay waveguides and n+1 switchable optical switches. The delay of each delay unit is in accordance with the binary (such as Δt, 2Δt, 4Δt...2 (n-1)Δt) arrangement. The single-channel delay line can process two or more optical signals at the same time. After the optical signal is input from any two ports, different delay amounts can be achieved internally through different waveguide paths. The optical switch switches the optical signal travel path based on the carrier dispersion effect or the thermo-optical effect, thereby combining a variety of delay differences. A waveguide of fixed length is also provided at each port to compensate for the delay difference between antenna elements in the antenna array, ensuring that the coverage range of the antenna array's transmitted beam deflection angle is as large as possible. The single-channel delay line can adjust the delay of two signals in parallel, which provides a hardware foundation for network multiplexing and grading, such as Figure 2 shown.

[0060] (5) 1×m optical splitter, which splits the optical signals with different delay differences (i.e., the two optical signals after the first stage of delay) into m channels, resulting in a total of 2m optical signals for the second stage delay network to adjust the delay difference;

[0061] (5) m-channel n-bit switchable adjustable delay line, each channel can switch between discrete delay paths, independently completing the delay adjustment of each optical signal, thereby obtaining 2m microwave optical signals with different delay amounts at the output end.

[0062] Through the above-mentioned hierarchical design, this architecture can realize beam pointing control of large-scale phased array systems based on a relatively small number of adjustable delay lines, and meet the requirements of broadband, high precision and scalability.

[0063] The following is an 8-element microwave photon beamforming network based on a 2-bit adjustable delay line ( Figure 3 ) is used to illustrate the specific implementation of the present invention. At the same time, for ease of understanding, the symbol "U" is used to represent the minimum delay unit. In the first-level delay control, the modulated RF optical signal is split into two paths through a 1×2 optical beam splitter and input into a 2-bit switch-type adjustable delay line. The 2-bit delay line has two delay waveguide units inside, and the delay difference can be set to 0.5U and 1U (or other targeted designed steps) respectively. Through the combined switching of optical switches, a variety of delay differences can be introduced into the two signals. The two optical signals output from the first-level delay line enter two 1×m optical beam splitters (m=4 in this embodiment) respectively, and each beam splitter continues to split the input signal into 4 paths with equal power, resulting in a total of 2×4=8 microwave optical signals; the 8 optical signals correspond to the 2-bit switch-type delay line input into 4 channels (i.e., the second-level delay line), and each channel also has multiple delay states. Since a single-channel delay line can support two input / output channels, the second-stage delay of 4 channels can process 8 signals in parallel, thereby achieving delay difference adjustment of 8 antenna units. Figure 4 、 Figure 5 、 Figure 6 and Figure 7As shown in the figure, by changing the combination of optical switches in each channel and the initial delay difference of the first-stage single-channel delay line output, different linear increments or other distribution patterns of delay can be obtained. Figure 4 For example, when each channel / path is set to a combination of 6U and 3U, 4U and 5U, and then superimposed with a first-level delay line (such as 5U), it is possible to output 8 optical signals with equal steps or approximately equal step differences (such as 2U intervals), realizing flexible control of the beam pointing.

[0064] By switching the two-stage delay line (especially the multi-channel 2-bit delay unit in the second stage), the network can achieve a variety of delay distribution. For example, Figure 5 The example shows that after obtaining an initial delay of 4U, each channel outputs 8 signals with a linear increment of 1U; Figure 6 and Figure 7 Corresponding to different combinations of initial delay and internal channel delay, the output step can be 0U or a negative increment (-U), etc. This reconfigurable feature enables the same set of hardware channels to cover a variety of beam scanning requirements without the need for a large number of additional delay components, greatly reducing hardware complexity and power consumption.

[0065] In this embodiment, a 2-bit adjustable delay unit can provide a variety of beam pointing options for an 8-element antenna. Further increasing the number of bits (n) or increasing the number of channels (m) in the second-stage delay line can accommodate even larger antenna arrays. Furthermore, this invention also supports process implementation on other substrate platforms (such as lithium niobate, silicon nitride, and SOI), providing a viable path for large-scale integration, modular expansion, and multi-band applications (including millimeter-wave and terahertz waves).

[0066] In the above embodiment, the present invention uses a two-stage architecture of "single-channel delay line + optical beam splitter + multi-channel delay line" to achieve programmable true delay control for large-scale phased arrays with a relatively small number of switch-type adjustable delay units. Figure 1 To the attached Figure 7 This demonstration vividly reveals the network's design principles and demonstrates examples of delayed output under different conditions, validating the invention's technical advantages in reducing system scale and improving bandwidth adaptability and flexibility. In line with industry needs, this invention has significant application value in broadband scenarios such as next-generation radar, satellite communications, and 5G / 6G wireless communications.

Claims

1. A microwave photon beamforming network architecture based on a switchable optical tunable delay line, characterized in that: The network architecture includes: Laser, used to generate a continuously tunable optical carrier; an electro-optical modulator, configured to modulate an input radio frequency signal onto the optical carrier to generate a microwave optical signal; A 1×2 optical beam splitter is used to split the microwave optical signal into two microwave optical signals of equal power; A single-channel n-bit switchable adjustable delay line, comprising n pairs of delay waveguides and n+1 optical switches, for performing first-order delay difference adjustment on the two microwave optical signals; Two 1×m optical beam splitters, each used to split the two microwave optical signals after the first stage of delay adjustment into m beams; An m-channel, n-bit switchable adjustable delay line group, each channel of which contains n pairs of delay waveguides and n+1 optical switches, is used to perform second-stage delay adjustment and output on the 2m-path microwave optical signal after splitting; By combining and switching the delay paths of the single-channel and m-channel switch-type adjustable delay lines, 2m microwave optical signals with different delay amounts are output, thereby realizing electronic control of beam pointing.

2. The microwave photon beamforming network architecture according to claim 1, wherein: The single-channel n-bit switch-type adjustable delay line comprises: -4 optical input / output ports, supporting parallel processing of two optical signals; -n pairs of delay waveguides, the delay of each pair of delay waveguides increases in binary order, namely Δt, 2Δt, 4Δt...2^(n-1)Δt; -n+1 optical switches, implemented using an MZI structure, operating based on carrier dispersion effect or thermo-optic effect; - A fixed compensation waveguide, provided at the four optical input or output ports, for delay compensation, so that the overall output signal maintains a continuously or discretely adjustable delay accuracy.

3. The microwave photon beamforming network architecture according to claim 1, wherein: Each channel of the m-channel n-bit switch-type adjustable delay line has the same four optical input / output ports, n pairs of delay waveguides, and n+1 optical switches as the single-channel delay line, and can achieve discrete and adjustable true delay compensation through multiple delay waveguides.

4. The microwave photon beamforming network architecture according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The optical switch in the n-bit switch-type adjustable delay line is realized based on one or more of the following effects: linear electro-optic effect, carrier dispersion effect, thermo-optic effect, and other integrated optical device technologies that can realize the opening and closing or switching of optical paths.

5. The microwave photon beamforming network architecture according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The delay waveguide and optical switch are fabricated on a silicon-on-insulator platform (SOI platform), a lithium niobate (LiNbO3) platform or a silicon nitride (Si3N4) platform, and can be combined with a planar optical waveguide process to achieve highly integrated microwave photon beamforming functions.

6. The microwave photon beamforming network architecture according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The 1×2 optical beam splitter and the 1×m optical beam splitter are both equal-power beam splitters, and the optical power obtained by each channel at the output end is equal, so as to ensure the balance and consistency of subsequent delay adjustment of each channel.

7. The microwave photon beamforming network architecture according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: Also includes: A multi-channel photodetector array is used to convert the microwave optical signal output by the delay line chip into an electrical signal; Temperature control module, used to stabilize the operating temperature of the delay line; The real-time monitoring circuit is used for feedback adjustment of the delay amount; the programmable controller is used for realizing dynamic configuration of the delay amount.

8. A phased array radar system based on the network architecture according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that include: A transmitting antenna array comprises 2m antenna elements; a receiving processing module; and a beam steering computer; wherein the network architecture provides the transmitting antenna array with an excitation signal having a precise delay difference.

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