Integrated horn antennas for millimeter-wave applications

The development of integrated horn antennas since their introduction in 1987 is reviewed. The integrated horn is fabricated by suspending a dipole antenna, on a thin dielectric membrane, in a pyramidal cavity etched in silicon. Recent progress has resulted in optimized low- and high-gain designs, with single and double polarization for remote-sensing and communication applications. A full-wave analysis technique has resulted in an integrated antenna with performance comparable to that of waveguide-fed corrugated-horn antennas. The integrated horn design can be extended to large arrays, for imaging and phased-array applications, while leaving plenty of room for the RF and IF processing circuitry. Theoretical and experimental results at microwave frequencies and at 90 GHz, 240 GHz, and 802 GHz are presented     

Millimeter-wave and terahertz integrated circuit antennas

A comprehensive review of integrated circuit antennas suitable for millimeter and terahertz applications is presented. A great deal of research was done on integrated circuit antennas in the last decade, and many of the problems associated with electrically thick dielectric substrates, such as substrate modes and poor radiation patterns, have been understood and solved. Several antennas, such as the integrated horn antenna, the dielectric-filled parabola, the Fresnel plate antenna, the dual-slot antenna, and the log-periodic and spiral antennas on extended hemispherical lenses, which have resulted in excellent performance at millimeter-wave frequencies, are covered in detail. A review of the efficiency definitions used with planar antennas is included     

Filtenna Consisting of Horn Antenna and Substrate Integrated Waveguide Cavity FSS

An integrated module with filtering and radiation performance realized by covering substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) cavity frequency selective surface (FSS) at aperture of horn antenna has been investigated in this paper. The module has functions of bandpass filter and horn antenna, so it is called a "filtering antenna" (filtenna). It is very suitable for applications in military platforms where FSS is used for antennas and radars' radar cross section (RCS) reduction. The filtenna is simulated and optimized with CST software and its performance is verified by experiments. From simulated and measured results it can be found that the proposed structure keeps characteristics of return loss, radiation pattern and gain of the horn antenna within desired frequency band, meanwhile presents effective reflection to interference signals at out-band. Using this structure the volume and cost of communication systems in military platforms can be effectively reduced     

Design and analysis of quasi-integrated horn antennas formillimeter and submillimeter-wave applications

The authors present a systematic process for the design of multimode quasi-integrated horn antennas, and provide a full range of practical antenna designs for millimeter- and submillimeter-wave applications. The design methodology is based on the Gaussian beam approach and the structures are optimized for achieving maximum fundamental Gaussian coupling efficiency. For this purpose, a hybrid technique is used in which the integrated part of the antennas is treated using full-wave analysis, whereas the machined part is treated using an approximate model. This results in a simple and efficient design process. The design procedure has been applied to the design of 20-, 23-, and 25-dB quasi-integrated horn antennas, all with a Gaussian coupling efficiency exceeding 97%. The designed antennas have been tested and characterized using both full-wave analysis and 91/370-GHz measurements. The quasi-integrated horn antennas are also examined as feed elements for Cassegrain antenna systems and are proved to be comparable to the traditional machined corrugated horn feeds     

94 GHz integrated horn monopulse antennas

A monolithic azimuthal monopulse antenna for 94-GHz applications has been developed. The structure consists of a single dipole suspended in one plane of an integrated horn cavity to obtain the sum pattern, and an antiparallel pair of dipoles suspended in a different plane of the same horn cavity to achieve the difference pattern. Pattern measurements of microwave models and on the millimeter-wave antennas show good agreement with theory and exhibit symmetry with a sharp -30-dB null at broadside for the difference antenna. Microwave model measurements show input impedances close to 50 Ω, with greater than -25-dB isolation between sum and difference antennas across a 10% bandwidth     

802GHz integrated horn antennas imaging array

This short paper presents the pattern measurements at 802GHz of a single element in a 256-element integrated horn imaging array. The integrated-horn antenna consists of a dipole-antenna suspended on a 1μm dielectric membrane inside a pyramidal cavity etched in Silicon. The theoretical far-field patterns, calculated using reciprocity and Floquet-modes representation of the free-space field, agree well with the measured far-field patterns at 802GBz. The associated directivity for a 1.40 λ horn aperture, calculated from the measured E and H-plane patterns is 12.3dB±0.2dB. This work demonstrates that high-efficiency integrated-horn antennas are easily scalable to terahertz frequencies and could be used for radio-astronomical and plasma-diagnostic applications.     

Application of rectangular and elliptical dielcore feed horns toelliptical reflector antennas

The pattern characteristics of elliptical reflector antennas are investigated when they are fed by rectangular and elliptical horns partially filled with a dielectric. The bandwidth characteristics of these dielcore horns are superior to those of their corrugated horn counterparts. Representative reflector patterns are computed to properly demonstrate the utility of these feeds for reflector antennas with elliptical apertures. This reflector antenna exhibits high efficiency and low cross polarization, and may be suitable for radar and satellite antenna applications. The antenna configuration may become useful in relatively small antennas where more than 10% cross-polar bandwidth is required. The efficient dielcore horns may also be used as feeds for elliptical nonshaped dual-reflector antennas     

Accurate analysis of TEM horn antennas for pulse radiation

In the past, various approximate theoretical models have been used to analyze TEM horn antennas. Because of the limitations of these approximate models, there has been, to date, only qualitative agreement of measurements for TEM horn antennas with the predictions of the theories. The finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method is used to accurately analyze TEM horn antennas for pulse radiation. First, the metallic triangular-plate TEM horn antenna is considered. Computed results for the reflected voltage in the feeding transmission line and the time-varying radiated electric field are shown to be in very good agreement with new experimental measurements. Graphs of the electric field in the space surrounding the antenna (magnitude of field plotted on a color scale) are used to give a physical insight into the process of radiation. Next, the method is used to analyze two TEM horns that were previously designed for pulse radiation. The geometry and electrical properties of these antennas are more complicated than for the metallic, triangular-plate horn. One has shaped metallic plates with a resistive termination at the open end; the other has plates whose resistance varies continuously along their length. The computed results for these antennas are compared with previously made experimental measurements     

Ultra-wide band corrugated gaussian profiled horn antenna design

Nowadays, an increasing number of applications need stable radiation patterns with low sidelobes and low crosspolar levels in a very wide bandwidth. Gaussian profiled horn antennas (GPRAs) have demonstrated their feasibility as one of the best solutions. A corrugated Gaussian horn antenna design with more than 40% bandwidth is proposed. The measured radiated far field patterns are in good agreement with the simulated ones. The measured results show a Gaussian antenna with extremely wide bandwidth, low sidelobes, and low crosspolar levels     

Radiation patterns of metal and dielectric wall diagonal horn antennas

The radiation patterns and gain of dielectric wall diagonal horn antennas of various thicknesses (0.15cm and 0.32 cm) and dielectric constants (? = 2.54, 2.56 and 3.03) have been experimentally studied and compared with a metal diagonal horn antenna having the same aperture at 9.418 GHz. Radiation patterns of these dielectric horn antennas when used as square horns are also presented and compared with a similar metal horn. The use and applicability of dielectric horn antennas is discussed.     

Design of multiple-edge blinders for large horn reflector antennas

Attaching blinders to the sides of pyramidal horn reflector antennas and other large aperture antennas is one method of controlling high sidelobes for horizontal polarization. This paper describes analysis and design procedures for arriving at a useful multiple-edge blinder for reducing undesirable sidelobes of a pyramidal horn reflector antenna. Several blinders have been designed and tested for use with a pyramidal horn reflector antenna. They are directed at reducing a high sidelobe near90degin the azimuth plane where levels (referred to the main lobe) of -52 dB at 3.74 GHz and -58 dB at 6.325 GHz are presently typical. A 14-edge blinder designed using these techniques reduced these levels by 20 dB at 3.74 GHz and 12 dB at 6.325 GHz and did not significantly degrade antenna performance for other angles and other polarizations.     

Scaled model measurements of the sandwiched V-antenna

At frequencies above a few hundred GHz, waveguide mixer blocks become extremely difficult to build, so open structure feeds may be more appropriate. One promising planar antenna structure, which can easily be integrated with SIS junctions, is the sandwiched V-antenna. The antenna is completely enclosed in dielectric by placing it between substrate and superstrate blocks. Using a model scaled to a center frequency of 10 GHz, we investigated the beam pattern as a function of frequency, and measured its dependence on gaps between the super-and substrates. We plan to test the structure at a frequency of 345 GHz and to compare it with waveguide horn antennas for possible use in submillimeter astronomical receivers. The antenna patterns and analysis in this work are substantially more extensive than earlier published results.     

On refining the name of one type of horn antennas

Advanced communications systems operating in the microwave band involve a wide use of horn antennas of different modifications. Horn antennas are applied as separate antennas, as feeds of reflectors, and elements of antenna arrays. However, the horn antennas most frequently used in practice and conventionally called pyramidal horns, in the view of the authors can be more accurately called wedge-shaped or wedge-like horn antennas: wedge is a more general variant of polyhedron, which is the basic component for designing the geometry of such horn antennas.     

Millimeter-wave integrated-horn antenna. II. Experiment

For pt.I see ibid., vol.39, no.11, p.1575-81 (1991). The impedance and radiation patterns of a dipole-fed horn antenna in a ground plane are experimentally investigated at microwave and millimeter-wave frequencies. The agreement with the full-wave analysis technique presented in part I is good. The results indicate that for a 70° flare-angle horn, horn apertures from 1.0 λ-square to 1.5 λ-square with dipole positions between 0.36 and 0.55 λ yield good radiation patterns with a gain of 10-13 dB a cross-polarization level lower than -20 dB, and resonant dipole impedances between 40 Ω and 120 Ω. It is also found that the impedance measurements can be safely used for 2-D horn arrays, but the radiation patterns differ because of the Floquet modes associated with the array environment. The integrated horn antenna is a high-efficiency antenna suitable for applications in millimeter-wave imaging systems, remote-sensing, and radioastronomy     

Stacked Microstrip-Patch Arrays as Alternative Feeds for Spaceborne Reflector Antennas

The feasibility of using stacked microstrip-patch arrays as feeds for offset reflector antennas is investigated in this paper. It is shown that patch arrays can be used as alternatives to the conventionally used horn feeds, which tend to be bulky. In particular, patch arrays can be of interest for spacecraft applications where reduced size and light-weight feeds are highly desirable. In this paper, patch arrays were tailored to provide radiation characteristics similar to those of horn feeds by varying the element spacing and excitation. A reduction in weight was mainly realized by the planar construction of the patch arrays. A full-wave analysis of the feed array, using finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) and PO-based UCLA reflector-analysis codes, was used to test the results of the proposed feed, operating at 1.413 GHz for radiometer applications, and 1.26 GHz for radar applications. A dual-polarized and dual-frequency stacked microstrip-patch element was fabricated and tested. It was then demonstrated that a seven-element hexagonal array design seemed to be the best match to the horn feeds for a 12 m offset-reflector antenna.     

Compact Chip-Resistor Loaded Active Integrated Patch Antenna for ISM Band Applications

As technology is moving towards miniature structures, demand for designing efficient compact antennas is increasing simultaneously. So it would be valuable to improve the features of small antennas, such as bandwidth and gain. A compact chip-resistor loaded microstrip antenna at 2.48 GHz frequency for industrial scientific and medical (ISM) band, with dimensions of 10 × 10 mm² is presented in this paper. With a novel geometry design, antenna is promoted to an active integrated antenna (AIA) on a two-layer printed circuit board (PCB), which contains passive antenna and active circuitry with a common ground plane. A monolithic amplifier is used to have an improvement around 10 dB in antenna gain. The impedance bandwidth has been increased during chip-resistor loading and adding active circuitry processes. For chip-resistor loaded antenna, that is 5.7 and 9.48% in simulation and measurement respectively. Moreover, the active integrated antenna has the measured impedance bandwidth of 58.7%. Since the low gain and narrow bandwidth of compact microstrip antennas might be a challenge for their operation, by compensating these drawbacks, proposed antenna would become more practical for special medical diagnostic applications, where doctors need stronger signals for monitoring.

     

Evaluating near-field radiation patterns of commercial antennas

A source reconstruction technique from the measured near fields is proposed to obtain a set of equivalent currents that will characterize the forward and backward radiation patterns of an antenna. Once the equivalent sources are determined, the electromagnetic field at any aspect angle and distance from the antenna can be calculated. In this paper, the method is applied to the evaluation of the radiation from commercial antennas at any observation point. The electric field patterns of a DCS base station antenna at 1800 MHz and a horn antenna at 2500 MHz have been calculated and plotted at several distances from the antenna. This method can be used in characterizing the "reference volumes" or exclusion zones for transmitting antennas dealing with the maximum levels of electromagnetic radiation safe for human exposure, as stated in many national and international regulations.     

Highly integrated automotive radar sensor

The design and measured results of the developed radar sensor for automotive applications are presented. The radar sensor is highly integrated with the transceiver module, antenna and baseband circuits. The proposed antenna is composed of a novel microstrip-line-fed horn antenna and a quasi-optic lens antenna.     

Analysis of Antenna Gain Enhancement with a New Planar Metamaterial Superstrate: an Effective Medium and a Fabry-Pérot Resonance Approach

We have compared gain enhancement behavior of patch and horn antennas from two different points of view: namely, effective medium analysis and a Fabry-Pérot cavity resonance approach. To examine how a near-zero refractive index (n) affects the performance of antennas, we designed a new planar metamaterial (MTM) superstrate, which can produce negative, zero, and positive values of n at around 2 GHz. We placed the MTM superstrate very close to the patch and horn antennas to see whether an n value that is effectively near zero can collimate antenna beams and increase antenna gain, which provided opposite gain behavior for the two antennas. To explain the dissimilar enhancement in the gain of the patch and horn antennas, we retrieved constitutive parameters from the proposed MTM superstrate and discussed the effect of various incidence angles upon the superstrate. In addition, to increase the gain further, we examined appropriate resonant heights between the antennas and the superstrate. Consequently, with the help of Fabry-Pérot cavity resonance, we obtained relatively high antenna gain. Moreover, the results of the prediction are in good agreement with the results of the measurement.