A radar system may include a set of analog components to perform one or more radio frequency (RF) operations during an active radar phase of the radar system. The radar system may include a set of digital components to perform one or more digital processing operations during at least a digital processing phase of the radar system. The one or more digital processing operations may be performed such that performance of the one or more digital processing operations does not overlap performance of a substantive portion of the one or more RF operations.

A radar system may include a set of analog components to perform one or more radio frequency (RF) operations during an active radar phase of the radar system. The radar system may include a set of digital components to perform one or more digital processing operations during at least a digital processing phase of the radar system. The one or more digital processing operations may be performed such that performance of the one or more digital processing operations does not overlap performance of a substantive portion of the one or more RF operations.

A method for generating ultrawideband pulsed microwave signals from optical field ionization of a gas with an ultrashort laser pulse, where the amplitude and frequency of the signals can be controlled via the characteristics of the laser pulse and/or the gas. The center frequency of the spectrum of the microwave signal can be controlled by changing the laser pulse energy. The amplitude of the microwave signal can be controlled by changing the wavelength of the laser pulses. The amplitude and frequency of the microwave signal can be tuned by controlling the pressure of the gas medium. The location at which the microwave signal is generated can be controlled by controlling the location at which the laser pulse creates a plasma. Interference among microwave signals resulting from multiple laser-produced plasmas can be used to construct an ultrawideband microwave signal having a predetermined amplitude and frequency.

A method for generating ultrawideband pulsed microwave signals from optical field ionization of a gas with an ultrashort laser pulse, where the amplitude and frequency of the signals can be controlled via the characteristics of the laser pulse and/or the gas. The center frequency of the spectrum of the microwave signal can be controlled by changing the laser pulse energy. The amplitude of the microwave signal can be controlled by changing the wavelength of the laser pulses. The amplitude and frequency of the microwave signal can be tuned by controlling the pressure of the gas medium. The location at which the microwave signal is generated can be controlled by controlling the location at which the laser pulse creates a plasma. Interference among microwave signals resulting from multiple laser-produced plasmas can be used to construct an ultrawideband microwave signal having a predetermined amplitude and frequency.

A radar system, apparatus, architecture, and method are provided for generating a mono-static virtual array aperture by using a radar control processing unit to construct a mono-static MIMO virtual array aperture from radar signals transmitted orthogonally from transmit antennas and received at each receive antennas, and to construct a mono-static MIMO forward difference virtual array aperture by performing forward difference co-array processing on the mono-static MIMO virtual array aperture to fill in holes in the mono-static MIMO virtual array aperture, thereby mitigating or suppressing spurious sidelobes caused by gaps or holes in the mono-static MIMO virtual array aperture.

A radar system, apparatus, architecture, and method are provided for generating a mono-static virtual array aperture by using a radar control processing unit to construct a mono-static MIMO virtual array aperture from radar signals transmitted orthogonally from transmit antennas and received at each receive antennas, and to construct a mono-static MIMO forward difference virtual array aperture by performing forward difference co-array processing on the mono-static MIMO virtual array aperture to fill in holes in the mono-static MIMO virtual array aperture, thereby mitigating or suppressing spurious sidelobes caused by gaps or holes in the mono-static MIMO virtual array aperture.

At least one beam of an optical wave is transmitted along a transmission angle toward a target location from a send aperture of a transmitter. A collected optical wave is received at receive apertures of two or more receivers. Each receiver comprises: a receive aperture arranged in proximity to at least one of the send aperture or a receive aperture of a different receiver, an optical phased array within the receive aperture, which receives at least a portion of a collected optical wave arriving at the receive aperture along a respective collection angle, and a detector that provides a signal based on the received portion of the collected optical wave. An estimated distance associated with the collected optical wave is determined based on a combination that includes a respective component corresponding to each of two or more of the signals provided from the detectors of the two or more receivers.

At least one beam of an optical wave is transmitted along a transmission angle toward a target location from a send aperture of a transmitter. A collected optical wave is received at receive apertures of two or more receivers. Each receiver comprises: a receive aperture arranged in proximity to at least one of the send aperture or a receive aperture of a different receiver, an optical phased array within the receive aperture, which receives at least a portion of a collected optical wave arriving at the receive aperture along a respective collection angle, and a detector that provides a signal based on the received portion of the collected optical wave. An estimated distance associated with the collected optical wave is determined based on a combination that includes a respective component corresponding to each of two or more of the signals provided from the detectors of the two or more receivers.

At least one beam of an optical wave is transmitted along a transmission angle toward a target location from a send aperture of a transmitter. A collected optical wave is received at receive apertures of two or more receivers. Each receiver comprises: a receive aperture arranged in proximity to at least one of the send aperture or a receive aperture of a different receiver, an optical phased array within the receive aperture, which receives at least a portion of a collected optical wave arriving at the receive aperture along a respective collection angle, and a detector that provides a signal based on the received portion of the collected optical wave. An estimated distance associated with the collected optical wave is determined based on a combination that includes a respective component corresponding to each of two or more of the signals provided from the detectors of the two or more receivers.

At least one beam of an optical wave is transmitted along a transmission angle toward a target location from a send aperture of a transmitter. A collected optical wave is received at receive apertures of two or more receivers. Each receiver comprises: a receive aperture arranged in proximity to at least one of the send aperture or a receive aperture of a different receiver, an optical phased array within the receive aperture, which receives at least a portion of a collected optical wave arriving at the receive aperture along a respective collection angle, and a detector that provides a signal based on the received portion of the collected optical wave. An estimated distance associated with the collected optical wave is determined based on a combination that includes a respective component corresponding to each of two or more of the signals provided from the detectors of the two or more receivers.