A system, comprising: a signal laser, a local oscillator, LO, laser and an optical phased array comprising an array of optical emitters, the optical phased array configured to: receive a laser signal from the signal laser; and output an optical beam having an optical wave front, the optical beam based at least in part on the laser signal; a photodiode array of photodiodes, each photodiode configured to: receive at least a portion of the optical beam and at least a portion of an optical plane wave beam, wherein the optical plane wave beam is formed based at least on the LO laser that is configured to output a laser beam having a different wavelength from the signal laser, wherein the signal laser and the LO laser are phase locked; and output an electronic signal based on the at least a portion of the optical beam and the at least a portion of the optical plane wave beam; and a radiofrequency "RF" antenna element array of RF antenna elements, each RF antenna element electrically coupled to one of the photodiodes, wherein the RF antenna element array is configured to output an RF beam having an RF wave front based on received electronic signals from the photodiode array; and characterized in that the signal laser is configured to feed its laser signal to a first set of the optical emitters configured to output the optical beam, wherein the LO laser is configured to feed its laser beam to a second set of the optical emitters configured to output the optical plane wave beam. an optical phased array comprising an array of optical emitters, the optical phased array configured to: receive a laser signal from the signal laser; and output an optical beam having an optical wave front, the optical beam based at least in part on the laser signal; receive a laser signal from the signal laser; and output an optical beam having an optical wave front, the optical beam based at least in part on the laser signal; a photodiode array of photodiodes, each photodiode configured to: receive at least a portion of the optical beam and at least a portion of an optical plane wave beam, wherein the optical plane wave beam is formed based at least on the LO laser that is configured to output a laser beam having a different wavelength from the signal laser, wherein the signal laser and the LO laser are phase locked; and output an electronic signal based on the at least a portion of the optical beam and the at least a portion of the optical plane wave beam; and receive at least a portion of the optical beam and at least a portion of an optical plane wave beam, wherein the optical plane wave beam is formed based at least on the LO laser that is configured to output a laser beam having a different wavelength from the signal laser, wherein the signal laser and the LO laser are phase locked; and output an electronic signal based on the at least a portion of the optical beam and the at least a portion of the optical plane wave beam; and a radiofrequency "RF" antenna element array of RF antenna elements, each RF antenna element electrically coupled to one of the photodiodes, wherein the RF antenna element array is configured to output an RF beam having an RF wave front based on received electronic signals from the photodiode array; and characterized in that the signal laser is configured to feed its laser signal to a first set of the optical emitters configured to output the optical beam, wherein the LO laser is configured to feed its laser beam to a second set of the optical emitters configured to output the optical plane wave beam.