Lens antennas and Radomes

P.Hazdra,M.Mazanek,.
hazdrap@fel.cvut.cz,mazanekm@fel.cvut.cz
DepartmentofElectromagneticField
CzechTechnicalUniversityinPrague,FEE
www.elmag.org

v.3.5.2015
Outline
Electromagnetic wave andrefraction at the interface
between two medias
What is an antenna complex vector amplifier
What arelens antennas
Comparison between reflector andlens
Dielectric lens
Metalplatelens
Special lens structures

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 Lens antennas
Dielectric materials, synthetic dielectric
Dielectric, metallic lens
Planar lens, zoning techniques
Horn-lens, horn-parabola-lens antenna
Basicequations for tranformation wavefront
Advantages anddisadvantages of lens antennas
Lens antennas - principle
purpose: create the proper shape of wavefront
with proper amplitude and polarisation
distribution
lens antenna a result of the phase velocity
difference between air (vacuum) and lens
(structure)
difference of phase velocity is described by
refractive index (relative) n
decelerating n > 1, accelerating n < 1
Lens materials - properties
Parameters (examples below):
electrical permitivity, conductivity, losses, linearity
(function of temperature, E-field, humidity ..)
mechanical (termomechanical) (memory of
materials, compact material, pressure,
tempetature)
environmental protection (when used as a radome
as well) special case of those above
Radio lens design basic structures

Refractiveindexandphasevelocity
Designofradiolenswithrefractiveindexgrater
thenunity dielectriclens
Designofradiolenswithrefractiveindexless
thenunity metalplanelens
Advantagesanddisadvantiges
Lenswithtwocurvedsurfaces
Reflector versus lens antenna
Lens (secondary) antenna
Dielectric lens antennas ( advance structure)

Back-scatter for illuminator

Principles of the lens (antenna lens) design

1. The same optimal nl distance, between

two wavefronts
2. Snells law of refraction
Examples:
calculation of the shape for dielectric lens,
calculation of the shape and elements for
metalic lens (parallel plate, waveguide)
focus distance for compensation of its error in
possition
Lens antenna

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Lens antennas basic principle (not general)

Transformation
pointsource sphericalwave planewave
Lens antenna
Lens antenna dielectric lens
Lens antenna waveguide lens
Disavantages
Decelerating lens Acceleratin lens
loss Narrowband
wind resistance
temperature
weight, thickness
Tangent loss versus temperature
Relative permitivity versus temperature
Zoning technique
Lenssteptechnique
Shadowbylensstep
Improvingtechnigues
Lens antenna
 Zoning

c
n 1
v
Zoning
Lens metalic plate, dielectric
Metal plate lens parallel plate
Aspheric lens
Lens

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Metall plate lens
Zoning technique - Metall plate lens
Lens antenna
Lens parallel plates antenna
Non homogeneous lenses

Maxwell fish eye

Luneburg lens
Luneburg lens - non homogeneous lenses

EachpointonthesurfaceofanidealLuneburglensis
thefocalpointforparallelradiationincidentonthe
oppositeside.Ideally,thedielectricconstant ofthe
materialcomposingthelensfallsfrom2atitscenterto
1atitssurface(orequivalently,therefractiveindex
fallsfrom2 to1)
Becausetherefractiveindexatthesurfaceisthesame
asthatofthesurroundingmedium,noreflectionoccurs
atthesurface.Withinthelens,thepathsoftheraysare
arcsofellipses.
Luneburg lens
Luneburg lens
Maxwell fish eye lens

CrosssectionofMaxwell'sfisheyelens,withblue
shadingrepresentingincreasingrefractiveindex

Maxwell'sfisheyelensisalsoanexampleofthe
generalizedLuneburglens.Thefisheye,whichwasfirst
fullydescribedbyMaxwellin1854(andthereforepre
datesLuneburg'ssolution),hasavarying refractive
index

ItfocuseseachpointonthesphericalsurfaceofradiusR
totheoppositepointonthesamesurface.Withinthe
lens,thepathsoftheraysarearcsofcircles.
Maxwell fish eye lens
non homogeneous lens
Materials for (microwave) lenses

Solid dielectric n > 1

Metalic delay dielectric n < 1
Metal plate structures (dielectrics) n > 1
Rodded dielectrics n > 1
Antenna structures with lens

Horn + lens
Horn + parabola + lens (radome)
Fresnel lens (re)radiator (reflector)
Rotman lens
Dielectric lens
Zoning
Fresnell lens example of zoning
Lens antennas
Rotman lens
Rotman lens
Rotman lens
Radome (RadarDome) - outline
Whatareradomes
Whyradoms
o Stableworkingconditionforantenna
Drying(highpressurewaveguidesystems)
Heating
o Protection(mechanical,environmental)
Influeceofradomeonantenna
Radometechnique
o Structureofradome(tuned,untuned)
o Shapeofradomecomponents
o Paintingofradom
Radome (and EMC???)
Radome

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Radomes
Radome (RadarDome)

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Radome
Radome

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Radome
Radome Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-
22 Raptor
AVACS - Radome
Radome
Radome + EMC

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Radome
Literature
J.Brown,Microwavelenses,ElectronicEngineering,1953
C.A.Balanis,AntennaTheoryandDesign,Wiley,2005
J.Prokop,J.Vokurka,enelektromagnetickchvlnaantny, SNTLALFA1982
.Vavra,J.Turn,Antnyaenieelektromagnetickchvlnaantny,Alfa1989

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