Joint radar and communication system based on a chaotic optoelectronic oscillator

We present a novel joint radar and communication (JRC) system that utilizes a chaotic optoelectronic oscillator (OEO) to generate a wideband radio frequency carrier. By mixing the carrier with an on-off keying (OOK) signal through intensity modulation and direct detection, a wideband JRC waveform is generated. One part of the waveform is used for transmitting, while the other serves as a reference for radar reception. The unique properties of the chaotic OEO signal, such as its randomness and large bandwidth, are leveraged to achieve superior system performance and eliminate the need for an electronic arbitrary waveform generator. In the proof-of-concept experiment, the JRC system achieves a radar range resolution of 7 cm and a wireless communication rate of 125 Mbit/s.