In this paper we describe an optical unit that provides programmable true time delays (TTD's) for phased array antenna beam steering. The described system has several advantages over other TTD systems: a compact single optical unit can provide parallel control of over 169 array elements with six bit time delay resolution possible for each element. The time delays are produced by multiple reflections in a mirror cavity with continuous refocusing, while a single spatial light modulator selects between different optical paths for all the independent light beams. Moreover, the design is scaleable for pico- to nanosecond time delays. Amplitude control for beam shaping is be integrated into the device. The high degree of parallelism makes it ideally suited for multiple beam antennas. We describe the design and potential system configuration. We have built a proof-of-concept demonstration device and will present experimental data.
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