EP0230969A1 - Réseau d'antennes à déphasage - Google Patents

Réseau d'antennes à déphasage Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0230969A1
EP0230969A1 EP87100750A EP87100750A EP0230969A1 EP 0230969 A1 EP0230969 A1 EP 0230969A1 EP 87100750 A EP87100750 A EP 87100750A EP 87100750 A EP87100750 A EP 87100750A EP 0230969 A1 EP0230969 A1 EP 0230969A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
plasma
antenna according
radiation
frequency
ionization density
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP87100750A
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German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Heinz Ing.(grad) Lüdiger
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Siemens AG
Original Assignee
Siemens AG
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Siemens AG filed Critical Siemens AG
Publication of EP0230969A1 publication Critical patent/EP0230969A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
    • H01Q3/00—Arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern of the waves radiated from an antenna or antenna system
    • H01Q3/44—Arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern of the waves radiated from an antenna or antenna system varying the electric or magnetic characteristics of reflecting, refracting, or diffracting devices associated with the radiating element
    • H01Q3/46—Active lenses or reflecting arrays

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a phase-controlled antenna for microwaves.
  • phase-controlled antennas phase-controlled antennas
  • They generally consist of a matrix of individual microwave radiators using waveguide or microstrip technology, the phase of each individual radiator element being adjustable. This setting is made, for example, by means of a PIN diode phase shifter or ferrite phase shifter.
  • the technique of phase-controlled antennas is described, for example, in the article by R.J. Mailloux: "Phased Array Theory and Technology", in the journal “Proceedings of the IEEE", Vol.70, No.3, March 1982, pages 246-292.
  • the disadvantage of the known technique of phase-controlled antennas lies in their complexity, since each radiating element requires a phase shifter and, under certain circumstances, a downstream amplifier. Another disadvantage is the coupling between the individual radiator elements, which is difficult to detect.
  • the object of the invention is to provide a phase-controlled antenna which allows the pivoting and changing of the radiation diagram, and which is fixed when the antenna is stationary
  • the structure is less complex and there are no radiator element coupling difficulties.
  • this object is achieved in that a lenticular layer of plasma, i.e. a largely ionized gas is arranged so that the useful frequency of the microwaves emanating from the radiation aperture is selected so that it lies above the so-called plasma frequency, and that a device is provided for varying the ionization density of the plasma layer in different regions.
  • a lenticular layer of plasma i.e. a largely ionized gas is arranged so that the useful frequency of the microwaves emanating from the radiation aperture is selected so that it lies above the so-called plasma frequency
  • the invention uses the effect of the complex propagation constants of an electromagnetic wave in a plasma.
  • an electromagnetic wave In order for an electromagnetic wave to propagate in plasma, it is known that its frequency must be higher than the plasma frequency.
  • the electrons of the plasma can shield the magnetic field of the wave and the wave is strongly attenuated or even totally reflected by the plasma.
  • This last-mentioned physical situation is known, for example, from the "Encyclopedia of Natural Science and Technology", 1980, Verlag Moderne Industrie, Landsberg / Lech, pages 3347-3351, in particular page 3350, left column, term "plasma vibrations". If the useful frequency is now far enough above this so-called plasma frequency, then a variation of the ionization density can achieve a low-attenuation phase shift of the microwave radiation according to the invention.
  • the plasma can be created in various ways and controlled with regard to its ionization density. For example, this is possible together hang a controlled gas discharge, microwave heating, electron bombardment or irradiation with short-wave light or UV radiation.
  • the lens-like layer of plasma 2 is introduced in a cuboid cavity 4.
  • the cuboid cavity 4 lies in front of the radiation aperture 1 of a horn radiator 5 arranged in a so-called offset position, which bundles the microwave radiation with the frequency f1 onto the plasma 2 located in the cavity 4.
  • This microwave radiation with the frequency f1 heats the plasma 2 to a basic ionization density and its power is constant.
  • Microwave radiation with a second frequency emanates from the radiation aperture 1 of the horn antenna 5 and is emitted onto the cavity 4 containing the plasma 2.
  • the microwave radiation with the frequency f2 can also be emitted by another exciter that does not radiate the heating frequency f1 into the plasma layer 2.
  • the field with the UV emitters 6 is arranged opposite a side surface of the cuboid cavity 4 and is approximately congruent with this. The UV lamps 6 radiate perpendicularly onto this side surface.
  • the parallel to the UV radiation direction sides of the cuboid cavity are dimensioned with respect to their length in the direction of UV radiation significantly shorter than the other cuboid sides, so that there is a flat cuboid, which is relatively thin in the UV radiation propagation direction.
  • a single areal plasma layer is sufficient to change the radiation diagram at the useful frequency f2 in every possible way.
  • a lens-like plasma layer in the form of individual plasma tubes 7 and 8, each with a rectangular cross section, is provided in front of the radiation aperture 1 of a waveguide radiator 9, which emits microwave radiation with the useful frequency f2.
  • the plasma 2 is located in a series of similar, straight-line, separate, but completely adjacent plasma tubes 7 and 8, all of which have a rectangular cross section.
  • the plasma tubes 7 are arranged so that their longitudinal axes run vertically, whereas the longitudinal axes of the plasma tubes 8 are aligned horizontally.
  • the plasma tubes 7 on the one hand and the plasma tubes 8 on the other hand are arranged in such a way that a layer-like plasma tube field is obtained in each case.
  • the plasma layers resulting from the stringing together of a plurality of plasma tubes 7 and 8 are irradiated by a plane wave emanating from the radiation aperture of the waveguide radiator 9 with a suitable useful frequency f2, which is higher than the plasma frequency.
  • the type of polarization of the microwave radiation is irrelevant (negligible magnetic fields, e.g. only earth's magnetic field).
  • each lens element realized by a plasma tube 7 allows the layer adjacent to the radiation aperture to have a phase variation of up to 2 ⁇ , it is possible to modulate the phase along the x-axis and thus to change the diagram, e.g. preferably a pivot to bring about in the azimuthal direction.
  • the combination of two plasma layers lying one behind the other enables diagram manipulation in azimuth and elevation. When the diagram changes in the elevation direction, the phase along the x-axis is achieved by varying the phases of the plasma tubes 8. The prerequisite is that the ionization density of each of these plasma tubes 7 and 8 can be varied separately.
  • Fig. 3 shows a schematic block diagram of the arrangement for a basic demonstration attempt.
  • a commercially available fluorescent tube 10 is used for this.
  • the RF signal from the output 11 of a microwave transmitter 12 is passed via a directional coupler 13 and coupled into a waveguide 15 by means of a probe 14.
  • the waveguide 15 acts as a waveguide radiator which irradiates one side of the fluorescent tube 10.
  • a microwave signal is taken from the waveguide 17 at a probe 19 and fed to an input 20 of a network analyzer 21.
  • the analyzer 21 also has a second input 22, to which, for comparison purposes, an HF partial signal which is taken directly from the output 11 of the microwave transmitter 12 via the directional coupler 13 is fed.
  • the plasma frequency of the commercially available fluorescent tubes is approximately between 8 and 9 GHz (10 12 electrons and ions per cm 3)
  • tests were carried out with signal frequencies from 9 to 12.4 GHz. It was possible to achieve an almost damping-free phase shift of 90 ° in the range between 10 and 11 GHz when an electromagnetic microwave passed through the plasma 23.
  • the damping and phase deviation values are strongly dependent on the plasma parameters, such as the pressure, the degree of ionization and the electron temperature.

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  • Plasma Technology (AREA)
  • Physical Or Chemical Processes And Apparatus (AREA)
EP87100750A 1986-01-24 1987-01-20 Réseau d'antennes à déphasage Withdrawn EP0230969A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE3602042 1986-01-24
DE3602042 1986-01-24

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0230969A1 true EP0230969A1 (fr) 1987-08-05

Family

ID=6292498

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP87100750A Withdrawn EP0230969A1 (fr) 1986-01-24 1987-01-20 Réseau d'antennes à déphasage

Country Status (1)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0230969A1 (fr)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2003056660A1 (fr) * 2001-12-21 2003-07-10 Plasma Antennas Ltd. Antenne a plasma a semi-conducteurs
WO2018187084A1 (fr) * 2017-04-05 2018-10-11 Smartsky Networks LLC Radôme à plasma à commande de densité flexible

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR788883A (fr) * 1934-04-26 1935-10-18 Rca Corp Perfectionnements aux systèmes de radio-signalisation
US2085406A (en) * 1933-08-31 1937-06-29 Rca Corp Electrical device
US2505240A (en) * 1947-04-22 1950-04-25 Raytheon Mfg Co Frequency-modulating apparatus
US3238531A (en) * 1963-03-12 1966-03-01 Thompson Ramo Wooldridge Inc Electronically steerable narrow beam antenna system utilizing dipolar resonant plasma columns
US3262118A (en) * 1959-04-28 1966-07-19 Melpar Inc Scanning antenna with gaseous plasma phase shifter
US4090198A (en) * 1964-08-31 1978-05-16 General Motors Corporation Passive reflectance modulator

Patent Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2085406A (en) * 1933-08-31 1937-06-29 Rca Corp Electrical device
DE678078C (de) * 1933-08-31 1939-07-08 Rca Corp Verfahren zur Modulation von Ultrakurzwellen
FR788883A (fr) * 1934-04-26 1935-10-18 Rca Corp Perfectionnements aux systèmes de radio-signalisation
US2505240A (en) * 1947-04-22 1950-04-25 Raytheon Mfg Co Frequency-modulating apparatus
US3262118A (en) * 1959-04-28 1966-07-19 Melpar Inc Scanning antenna with gaseous plasma phase shifter
US3238531A (en) * 1963-03-12 1966-03-01 Thompson Ramo Wooldridge Inc Electronically steerable narrow beam antenna system utilizing dipolar resonant plasma columns
US4090198A (en) * 1964-08-31 1978-05-16 General Motors Corporation Passive reflectance modulator

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2003056660A1 (fr) * 2001-12-21 2003-07-10 Plasma Antennas Ltd. Antenne a plasma a semi-conducteurs
US7109124B2 (en) 2001-12-21 2006-09-19 Plasma Antennas Ltd Solid state plasma antenna
WO2018187084A1 (fr) * 2017-04-05 2018-10-11 Smartsky Networks LLC Radôme à plasma à commande de densité flexible
US10770785B2 (en) 2017-04-05 2020-09-08 Smartsky Networks LLC Plasma radome with flexible density control
US11289804B2 (en) * 2017-04-05 2022-03-29 Smartsky Networks, Llc Plasma radome with flexible density control

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Inventor name: LUEDIGER, HEINZ, ING.(GRAD)