Photonic chip-based Reconfigurable Radar Compound Jamming Signal Generator

TL;DR

This paper presents the first monolithic silicon photonic chip capable of reconfigurable, broadband radar jamming with asymmetric false-target generation, enabling compact, flexible, and intelligent electronic warfare solutions.

Contribution

It introduces a fully integrated, reconfigurable photonic chip system that overcomes bulkiness and symmetry limitations of previous radar jamming technologies.

Findings

Supports four distinct jamming modes with high reconfigurability

Operates over a bandwidth exceeding 20 GHz

Generates over 20 high-fidelity false targets simultaneously

Abstract

Microwave photonics (MWP) serves as a powerful bridge between the radio-frequency and optical worlds, unlocking unprecedented bandwidth and speed for critical information systems. Recently, MWP-based radar jamming has demonstrated significant potential in overcoming electronic bottlenecks; however, existing solutions rely heavily on bulky discrete components and generate deterministic symmetric waveforms that are vulnerable to advanced counter-countermeasures. Here, we break this status quo by demonstrating the first monolithic photonic chip-based reconfigurable radar compound jamming signal generator. Implemented on a compact 25 mm2 silicon photonic footprint, our system features high integration and electrical reconfigurability, supporting agile switching among four distinct jamming modes. Crucially, we introduce a composite jamming mechanism that exploits time-frequency coupling to break the inherent symmetry of traditional deceptive jamming, generating controllable asymmetric false-target clusters. The on-chip system exhibits an operating bandwidth exceeding 20 GHz and is capable of generating over 20 high-fidelity false targets simultaneously. This work establishes a fully functional platform combining broad bandwidth, multi-mode flexibility, and asymmetric deception, paving the way for miniaturized, intelligent photonic solutions in next-generation electronic warfare.