A high-directivity transponder system uses a dual system of a retrodirective
array
transmitting a data signal peak toward an interrogator source, and a self-null-steering
array transmitting a null toward the interrogator source and a jamming signal elsewhere,
resulting in high S/N reception at the interrogator source and avoidance of interception.
Integrating modulators would allow each array to transmit different data while
the spectra of the transmitted signals are identical, thus disabling interception.
The system enables secure point-to-point communications and can be used for short-distance
wireless data transmission systems such as wireless LAN and RFID servers. As another
aspect, self-steering signal transmission is employed for randomly oriented satellites
using circularly polarized, two-dimensional retrodirective arrays. Quadruple subharmonic
mixing is used as an effective means of achieving phase conjugation when a high-frequency
LO is not feasible or inapplicable. These features may be used for small-satellite
communications, secure tactical communications, search and rescue, enemy location
fixing and tracking, UAV command and control, forest fire detection, marine-based
tracking, and many other applications requiring secure communications with high
signal directivity.