3D printed Rotman lens

This paper presents the ongoing work of designing, simulating and measuring a 3D printed, broadband 6–18GHz double ridged waveguide (WRD) Rotman lens. In order to achieve a wide bandwidth with +/−30 degrees scan range, five different input ports were carefully designed. Simulations indicate that we should be able to achieve low loss, reasonable gain and reflection coefficient < −10dB. In order to reduce cost, and weight and easy integration on an UAV (unmanned airborne vehicle) [1], the Rotman lens was 3D printed.

[1]  A. Mortazawi,et al.  A New Low Loss Rotman Lens Design Using a Graded Dielectric Substrate , 2008, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques.

[2]  W. Rotman,et al.  Wide-angle microwave lens for line source applications , 1963 .

[3]  Eva Rajo-Iglesias,et al.  Numerical studies of bandwidth of parallel-plate cut-off realised by a bed of nails, corrugations and mushroom-type electromagnetic bandgap for use in gap waveguides , 2011 .

[4]  Shi-Chang Wooh,et al.  Phased array element shapes for suppressing grating lobes. , 2002, The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America.

[5]  Nathan Joseph Jastram.  Passive front-ends for wideband millimeter wave electronic warfare , 2014 .

[6]  B. Jacobs,et al.  An Improved Design for a 1–18 GHz Double-Ridged Guide Horn Antenna , 2012, IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation.

[7]  P. Knott.  Design of a ridged waveguide feed network for a wideband Rotman lens antenna array , 2008, 2008 IEEE Radar Conference.

[8]  Xin Zhang,et al.  A broadband waveguide-to-coaxial transition , 2009, 2009 3rd IEEE International Symposium on Microwave, Antenna, Propagation and EMC Technologies for Wireless Communications.

[9]  Tor Sverre Lande,et al.  Characterization of a 3D printed wideband waveguide and horn antenna structure embedded in a UAV wing , 2016, 2016 10th European Conference on Antennas and Propagation (EuCAP).