A Long-Range Distributed Antenna Method Based on Microwave-Photonics Frequency Synchronization

Coherent signal synthesis among multiple remote apertures is a fundamental challenge for next-generation distributed radar and communication systems, and its performance hinges on the precision of the frequency and time references shared by the distributed nodes. In this work, we report a system-level study of a microwave-photonics-based frequency synchronization system that phase-locks two independent signal sources over a 40 km fiber link, and we validate the resulting coherent beamforming and power combining capabilities of the synchronized pair. The synchronization link, built on an adaptive phase-locked loop with dispersion compensation, delivers a frequency stability of 8.0×10−15 at 1 s and 2.0×10−16 at 1000 s. Using the synchronized pair, we perform beam-scanning and beamforming experiments in a microwave anechoic chamber at 1–7 GHz. The measured beam-pointing angles agree with theoretical predictions, and a coherent gain enhancement of 5.9 dB is obtained with a gain loss below 0.1 dB. Furthermore, field tests with a 150 m free-space separation between the two transmitting antennas confirm stable coherent signal synthesis, with the combined amplitude maintained within 1 dB over extended periods. Beyond the specific experimental results, we apply the known gain-loss relation to derive an engineering guideline relating the frequency stability of the synchronization link to the achievable coherent gain loss. These results show that an established microwave-photonics synchronization technology, when integrated with standard signal sources, provides a practical route toward distributed coherent arrays for long-range detection and wideband communication.