Patent ID: 6078288
Filing Date: 2000-06-20
Classification: B60T,H01Q

Abstract:
An array of photonically controlled antenna elements comprising:a plurality of light waveguides that are stacked together next to each other;at least one photonically controlled antenna element bonded to the surface of each of said light waveguides;means for applying light energy to individual ones of said light waveguides, said light energy being reflected in said individual ones of said light waveguides until being absorbed by said photonically controlled antenna elements thereon through the surface of each of said light waveguides;wherein said photonically controlled antenna elements on ones of said light waveguides are switched to a conductive state wherein they can transmit and receive electromagnetic energy in a direction parallel to said light waveguides when said light energy is applied to said ones of said light waveguide by said applying means, and said photonically controlled antenna elements are switched to a non-conductive state wherein they cannot transmit and receive electromagnetic energy when said light energy is removed from said ones of said light waveguides by said applying means; anda ground plane, wherein a first edge of each of said light waveguides are adjacent to said ground plane, and the photonically controlled antenna elements on each of said light waveguides are spaced from said ground plane a distance equal to a quarter wavelength of the frequency at which each of said photonically controlled antenna elements is designed to operate.