EP3073569A1 - Butler matrix compact, bi-dimensionales planare beam-former und planarantenne mit einer solchen butler matrix - Google Patents

Butler matrix compact, bi-dimensionales planare beam-former und planarantenne mit einer solchen butler matrix Download PDF

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Publication number
EP3073569A1
EP3073569A1 EP16161459.9A EP16161459A EP3073569A1 EP 3073569 A1 EP3073569 A1 EP 3073569A1 EP 16161459 A EP16161459 A EP 16161459A EP 3073569 A1 EP3073569 A1 EP 3073569A1
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Prior art keywords
waveguides
butler matrix
waveguide
parallel
planar
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English (en)
French (fr)
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EP3073569B1 (de
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Hervé Legay
Jean-Philippe Fraysse
Etienne Girard
Mauro Ettorre
Ronan Sauleau
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Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique CNRS
Universite de Rennes 1
Thales SA
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Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique CNRS
Universite de Rennes 1
Thales SA
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    • 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
    • H01Q3/26—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 relative phase or relative amplitude of energisation between two or more active radiating elements; varying the distribution of energy across a radiating aperture
    • H01Q3/30—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 relative phase or relative amplitude of energisation between two or more active radiating elements; varying the distribution of energy across a radiating aperture varying the relative phase between the radiating elements of an array
    • H01Q3/34—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 relative phase or relative amplitude of energisation between two or more active radiating elements; varying the distribution of energy across a radiating aperture varying the relative phase between the radiating elements of an array by electrical means
    • H01Q3/40—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 relative phase or relative amplitude of energisation between two or more active radiating elements; varying the distribution of energy across a radiating aperture varying the relative phase between the radiating elements of an array by electrical means with phasing matrix
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01P—WAVEGUIDES; RESONATORS, LINES, OR OTHER DEVICES OF THE WAVEGUIDE TYPE
    • H01P1/00—Auxiliary devices
    • H01P1/18—Phase-shifters
    • H01P1/182—Waveguide phase-shifters
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01P—WAVEGUIDES; RESONATORS, LINES, OR OTHER DEVICES OF THE WAVEGUIDE TYPE
    • H01P3/00—Waveguides; Transmission lines of the waveguide type
    • H01P3/12—Hollow waveguides
    • H01P3/121—Hollow waveguides integrated in a substrate
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01P—WAVEGUIDES; RESONATORS, LINES, OR OTHER DEVICES OF THE WAVEGUIDE TYPE
    • H01P5/00—Coupling devices of the waveguide type
    • H01P5/02—Coupling devices of the waveguide type with invariable factor of coupling
    • H01P5/022—Transitions between lines of the same kind and shape, but with different dimensions
    • H01P5/024—Transitions between lines of the same kind and shape, but with different dimensions between hollow waveguides
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
    • H01Q1/00—Details of, or arrangements associated with, antennas
    • H01Q1/27—Adaptation for use in or on movable bodies
    • H01Q1/28—Adaptation for use in or on aircraft, missiles, satellites, or balloons
    • H01Q1/288—Satellite antennas
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
    • H01Q15/00—Devices for reflection, refraction, diffraction or polarisation of waves radiated from an antenna, e.g. quasi-optical devices
    • H01Q15/0006—Devices acting selectively as reflecting surface, as diffracting or as refracting device, e.g. frequency filtering or angular spatial filtering devices
    • H01Q15/006—Selective devices having photonic band gap materials or materials of which the material properties are frequency dependent, e.g. perforated substrates, high-impedance surfaces
    • H01Q15/0073—Selective devices having photonic band gap materials or materials of which the material properties are frequency dependent, e.g. perforated substrates, high-impedance surfaces said selective devices having corrugations
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
    • H01Q15/00—Devices for reflection, refraction, diffraction or polarisation of waves radiated from an antenna, e.g. quasi-optical devices
    • H01Q15/0006—Devices acting selectively as reflecting surface, as diffracting or as refracting device, e.g. frequency filtering or angular spatial filtering devices
    • H01Q15/006—Selective devices having photonic band gap materials or materials of which the material properties are frequency dependent, e.g. perforated substrates, high-impedance surfaces
    • H01Q15/008—Selective devices having photonic band gap materials or materials of which the material properties are frequency dependent, e.g. perforated substrates, high-impedance surfaces said selective devices having Sievenpipers' mushroom elements
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
    • H01Q15/00—Devices for reflection, refraction, diffraction or polarisation of waves radiated from an antenna, e.g. quasi-optical devices
    • H01Q15/0006—Devices acting selectively as reflecting surface, as diffracting or as refracting device, e.g. frequency filtering or angular spatial filtering devices
    • H01Q15/0086—Devices acting selectively as reflecting surface, as diffracting or as refracting device, e.g. frequency filtering or angular spatial filtering devices said selective devices having materials with a synthesized negative refractive index, e.g. metamaterials or left-handed materials
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
    • H01Q15/00—Devices for reflection, refraction, diffraction or polarisation of waves radiated from an antenna, e.g. quasi-optical devices
    • H01Q15/02—Refracting or diffracting devices, e.g. lens, prism
    • H01Q15/08—Refracting or diffracting devices, e.g. lens, prism formed of solid dielectric material
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
    • H01Q15/00—Devices for reflection, refraction, diffraction or polarisation of waves radiated from an antenna, e.g. quasi-optical devices
    • H01Q15/02—Refracting or diffracting devices, e.g. lens, prism
    • H01Q15/10—Refracting or diffracting devices, e.g. lens, prism comprising three-dimensional array of impedance discontinuities, e.g. holes in conductive surfaces or conductive discs forming artificial dielectric
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
    • H01Q15/00—Devices for reflection, refraction, diffraction or polarisation of waves radiated from an antenna, e.g. quasi-optical devices
    • H01Q15/14—Reflecting surfaces; Equivalent structures
    • H01Q15/16—Reflecting surfaces; Equivalent structures curved in two dimensions, e.g. paraboloidal
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
    • H01Q19/00—Combinations of primary active antenna elements and units with secondary devices, e.g. with quasi-optical devices, for giving the antenna a desired directional characteristic
    • H01Q19/10—Combinations of primary active antenna elements and units with secondary devices, e.g. with quasi-optical devices, for giving the antenna a desired directional characteristic using reflecting surfaces
    • H01Q19/12—Combinations of primary active antenna elements and units with secondary devices, e.g. with quasi-optical devices, for giving the antenna a desired directional characteristic using reflecting surfaces wherein the surfaces are concave
    • H01Q19/13—Combinations of primary active antenna elements and units with secondary devices, e.g. with quasi-optical devices, for giving the antenna a desired directional characteristic using reflecting surfaces wherein the surfaces are concave the primary radiating source being a single radiating element, e.g. a dipole, a slot, a waveguide termination
    • H01Q19/138—Parallel-plate feeds, e.g. pill-box, cheese aerials
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
    • H01Q21/00—Antenna arrays or systems
    • H01Q21/0006—Particular feeding systems
    • H01Q21/0031—Parallel-plate fed arrays; Lens-fed arrays
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
    • H01Q21/00—Antenna arrays or systems
    • H01Q21/06—Arrays of individually energised antenna units similarly polarised and spaced apart
    • H01Q21/061—Two dimensional planar arrays
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
    • H01Q21/00—Antenna arrays or systems
    • H01Q21/06—Arrays of individually energised antenna units similarly polarised and spaced apart
    • H01Q21/061—Two dimensional planar arrays
    • H01Q21/064—Two dimensional planar arrays using horn or slot aerials
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
    • H01Q25/00—Antennas or antenna systems providing at least two radiating patterns
    • H01Q25/007—Antennas or antenna systems providing at least two radiating patterns using two or more primary active elements in the focal region of a focusing device
    • H01Q25/008—Antennas or antenna systems providing at least two radiating patterns using two or more primary active elements in the focal region of a focusing device lens fed multibeam arrays

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a compact Butler matrix, a planar two-dimensional beamformer and a multi-beam planar antenna comprising such a Butler matrix. It applies to any multibeam antenna, especially in the field of space applications such as satellite telecommunications, and more particularly to thin antennas.
  • the beamformers are used in multibeam antennas to develop output beams from input radio frequency signals.
  • a conventional beamformer comprises N inputs In1 to InN, P outputs Out1 to OutP, and a plurality of radio frequency circuits 11, 12, 13 able to divide and recombine the input radio frequency signals according to a chosen phase and amplitude law. to form output beams.
  • the radio frequency circuits comprise a large number of individual waveguides 10 which intercross with each other so as to allow the combinations necessary for the formation of the different output beams by radiofrequency signal combiners 12.
  • These beam formers are suitable for a limited number of radiating elements and to form a limited number of beams as they become very complex as the number of beams increases due to the necessary crossovers between the waveguides.
  • Butler matrix consisting of a symmetrical passive circuit with N input ports and N output ports, which drives radiating elements producing N different beams of equal amplitudes.
  • the circuit is composed of junctions that connect the input ports to the output ports by N different transmission lines 18 and parallel to each other.
  • Butler matrix comprises couplers 15, of the 3 dB, 90 ° hybrid coupler type, making it possible to combine or divide the power of the waves input radio frequency, phase shifters 16 capable of applying a phase delay of 45 °, and crossing devices 17 for crossing two different transmission lines.
  • each crossing device 17 may consist of two 3 dB, 90 ° couplers connected in series.
  • FIG. figure 2 An example of a Butler matrix architecture with four input ports A, B, C, D and four output ports A ', B', C ', D' is shown in FIG. figure 2 .
  • the Butler matrix has four 3 dB, 90 °, two 45 ° phase shifters and a crossover.
  • This type of beamformer is well suited for forming a small number of beams but becomes too complex as the number of beams increases. In addition, it allows the formation of beams in only one direction of the space perpendicular to the transmission lines 18.
  • planar quasi-optical beamformers using electromagnetic propagation of radiofrequency waves originating from several input power sources, for example radiating horns, according to a propagation mode in general TEM between two plates. parallel metallic.
  • the focusing and collimation of the beams can be performed by an optical lens as described for example in the documents US 3170158 and US 5936588 which illustrate the case of a Rotman lens, or alternatively by a reflector as described for example in the documents FR 2944153 and FR 2 986377 , the optical lens or the reflector respectively being inserted in the propagation path of the radio frequency waves, between the two parallel metal plates.
  • optical lenses may be used, these optical lenses serving essentially as phase correctors and allowing in most cases to convert one or more cylindrical waves emitted by the sources into one or more plane waves propagating in the waveguide with parallel metal plates.
  • the optical lens may comprise two opposite edges with parabolic profiles, respectively input and output.
  • the optical lens may be a dielectric lens, or a right-sided index gradient lens, or any other type of optical lens.
  • an optical lens quasi-optical beamformer to obtain a plane antenna, it is sufficient to place elements radiating input around the input edge of the optical lens and attaching radio frequency probes to the output edge of the optical lens, and then connecting each radio frequency probe to a radiating output element via a line transmission, for example a coaxial cable.
  • pillbox beamformer In the case of a pillbox beamformer, to obtain a planar antenna, input radiating elements are placed in front of the integrated parabolic reflector, and radiating output elements are placed in the path of the radiofrequency waves reflected by the parabolic reflector. .
  • pillbox beamformers using one or more reflectors.
  • a quasi-optical beamformer is much simpler than traditional waveguide beamformers because it does not have a coupler or a crossover device.
  • all known planar beam formers are able to form beams only in one dimension of space, in a direction parallel to the plane of the metal plates.
  • To form beams according to two dimensions of the space, in two directions, respectively parallel and orthogonal to the plane of the metal plates it is necessary to combine orthogonally between them, two sets of beam forming, each beam forming assembly consisting of a stack of several layers of unidirectional beamformers.
  • connection interfaces in particular input / output connectors, on each set of beam forming and then connect in pairs the different inputs and outputs.
  • the object of the invention is to overcome the drawbacks of known beam formers and to realize a planar two-dimensional beamformer comprising continuous transmission lines and making it possible to form beams in two dimensions of space without any connection interface or no interconnecting cable.
  • Another object of the invention is to provide a new and particularly compact Butler matrix having a new parallel plate architecture compatible with quasi-optical beamformers.
  • the invention relates to a compact Butler matrix comprising N waveguides, where N is an integer greater than three and selected from the powers of two, couplers for coupling two adjacent waveguides, phase shifters and at least one crossing device capable of crossing two adjacent waveguides, the crossing device comprising two couplers connected in series.
  • the Butler matrix consists of a planar multilayer structure comprising N + 1 metal plates parallel to each other, stacked one above the other, and regularly spaced from each other, each space between two consecutive metal plates forming a guide parallel plate wave having two opposite walls, respectively upper and lower, constituted by the two consecutive metal plates, two waveguides with adjacent metal plates having a common wall formed by one of the metal plates, and the couplers, the phase shifters and the crossing device are constituted by metasurfaces integrated in the respective walls of the waveguides to be coupled, crossed and out of phase.
  • the metasurfaces constituting each coupler and the crossing device between two adjacent waveguides may consist of a metallized support provided with a plurality of through holes regularly distributed in a coupling zone, respectively a crossing zone, of the wall common to the two adjacent adjacent waveguides, the crossing zone consisting of two coupling zones arranged in cascade one behind the other.
  • the metasurfaces constituting each phase shifter integrated in a waveguide may consist of corrugations arranged in a phase shift zone, on the two opposite walls of the corresponding waveguide.
  • each metal plate may consist of a metal coating deposited on a dielectric substrate and each coupler and crossing device between two adjacent waveguides may consist of a plurality of slots etched in the metal coating, the slots being regularly distributed throughout the coupling zone, respectively throughout the crossing zone, the crossing zone consisting of two coupling zones arranged in cascade one behind the other.
  • each phase-shifter may consist of a set of periodically photo-etched metal patches on the dielectric substrate of the two walls of a phase-shifted waveguide.
  • the invention also relates to a planar beamformer capable of synthesizing beams according to two dimensions of space, comprising at least one Butler matrix with N + 1 parallel plates.
  • the beamformer may comprise two different Butler matrices stacked one above the other and respectively dedicated to two different polarizations orthogonal to each other.
  • the beamformer may further comprise N respectively integrated optical lenses, at the output, or alternatively at the input, of the Butler matrix, in the N waveguides delimited by the N + 1 metal plates.
  • each optical lens may be a lens of constant thickness and index gradient.
  • the beamformer may comprise two stacked stages, respectively lower and upper, each stage comprising an identical number of parallel plate waveguides, the Butler matrix being located on the upper stage, each waveguide of the lower stage being connected in series to a waveguide of the upper stage by a respective intermediate waveguide comprising parallel metal plates arranged orthogonally to the XOY plane of the two lower and upper stages, the parallel metal plates constituting the walls of each intermediate waveguide forming a reflector integrated in the beamformer.
  • the invention also relates to a planar antenna comprising at least one Butler matrix with N + 1 parallel plates, the antenna further comprising M radiating feed horns connected at the input of each waveguide with parallel metal plates, ie MN radiating feed horns for the N metal plate waveguides, where M is greater than 2, and N output radiating horns respectively connected to the N metal plate waveguides.
  • each output radiating horn can be a longitudinal horn coupled to a linear radiating aperture extending transversely over the entire width of the corresponding parallel plate waveguide.
  • the linear radiating openings may be oriented in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the parallel plates of the corresponding parallel plate waveguide.
  • the Butler matrix consists of a planar multilayer structure comprising N + 1 metal plates 20, parallel to each other, stacked one above the other, and regularly spaced from each other.
  • PPW parallel plate waveguide
  • the metal plates are parallel to the XOY plane, the X direction corresponding to the longitudinal direction of propagation of the radio frequency waves in each parallel plate waveguide.
  • Two adjacent waveguides PPW1 and PPW2, PPW2 and PPW3, PPW3 and PPW4, comprise a common wall formed by one of the metal plates 20.
  • the Butler matrix therefore comprises N parallel-plate waveguides stacked one above the other in the direction Z orthogonal to the plane XOY, where N is an integer greater than three and selected from the powers of two.
  • the Butler matrix also comprises couplers, for example of the hybrid coupler type 3dB, 90 °, each coupler being intended to couple two waveguides adjacent to each other, 45 ° phase shifters and crossover devices (in English: crossover) intended to intersect with each other two adjacent waveguides.
  • the couplers 15, the crossing devices 17 and the phase-shifters 16 are integrated locally into the metal plates forming the walls of the waveguides PPW1, PPW2, PPW3, PPW4 in respective coupling zones 22a, 22b, 22c, 22d, crossover 24 and phase shift 23a, 23b, located in the path of propagation of radiofrequency waves and extending transversely, parallel to the Y direction, over the entire width D of the corresponding metal plate 20.
  • the metal plate forming the common wall between the two adjacent waveguides comprises coupling zones and crossing zones constituted by metasurfaces integrated locally in said common wall.
  • a metasurface is a textured surface consisting of a dense planar distribution of small identical or non-identical elements, fixed, or printed, or engraved, on a very thin support.
  • a metasurface is characterized by a surface impedance that locally modifies the longitudinal propagation of a guided wave in a waveguide.
  • a metasurface has very interesting properties from an electromagnetic point of view because it allows to control the propagation of electromagnetic waves along its surface.
  • the elements fixed, or printed or engraved may for example be metal studs or metal patches or holes, or slots, regularly distributed or of variable density, the distance between two consecutive elements being less than Central wavelength of operation.
  • the metasurface is constituted a metallized support 26 provided with a plurality of through holes 25 regularly distributed throughout the coupling zone, respectively throughout the crossing zone. The distance separating two adjacent holes is much less than, at least a factor of three, at the wavelengths guided in the parallel plate guide.
  • the metasurface has a high reactive surface impedance, for example 100 ohms, the value of which depends on the density of the holes and the length L of the coupling zone.
  • a 90 ° 3dB coupler synthesized by a metasurface having a reactive surface impedance of 100 Ohms was obtained with holes regularly distributed over a length L equal to 35 mm.
  • Two identical metasurfaces put end to end synthesize the crossing zone. It has been verified that these surface impedances are effective for radio waves having different angles of incidence.
  • the two metal plates forming the upper and lower walls of the corresponding waveguide comprise phase shift zones 23a, 23b which may consist of corrugations arranged locally on the inner surface of the two corresponding metal plates and whose width is equal to the transverse width D of the corresponding metal plates.
  • the number N of waveguides is four, and the number of metal plates 20 is five.
  • a first coupling zone 22a is integrated in the second metal plate common to the first waveguide PPW1 and at the second waveguide PPW2 and a second coupling zone 22b is integrated in the fourth metal plate common to the third waveguide PPW3 and the fourth waveguide PPW4.
  • the Butler matrix Downstream of the two coupling zones 22a, 22b, the Butler matrix comprises a crossing zone 24 consisting of two hybrid couplers 3dB, 90 °, cascaded, one behind the other, in the third metal plate common to the second and third waveguides PPW2, PPW3, and two phase shift zones 23a, 23b respectively arranged in the upper and lower walls of the first and fourth waveguides PPW1, PPW4.
  • a third and a fourth coupling zone 23c, 23d are respectively integrated in the second metal plate common to the first and second waveguides PPW1, PPW2 and in the fourth metal plate common to the third and fourth waveguides PPW3, PPW4.
  • the radiofrequency signals propagating in the two adjacent waveguides intersect and mutually exchange their propagation waveguide, which allows to group two by two signals that propagate initially in non-adjacent waveguides to couple them.
  • the radiofrequency signals propagating initially in the waveguides PPW2 and PPW3 are exchanged in the crossing zone 24 and then propagate, downstream of the crossing zone, respectively in the waveguides.
  • PPW3 and PPW2. They can then be respectively coupled to radio frequency signals that propagate in waveguides PPW4 and PPW1.
  • phase shift, coupling and crossover areas be compact and so that the surface impedances are high.
  • the size of the phase shift, coupling and crossover areas is further reduced if the Butler matrix operates over a wider band and for higher radiofrequency waveforms.
  • the Butler matrix can be made using a printed circuit technology by using a multilayer composite structure comprising a stack of several layers consisting of etched and metallized substrates S1, S2, S3, S4, S5 possibly being separated by spacers E1, E2, E3, E4.
  • Each layer forms a waveguide comprising two metallized walls parallel to each other, each wall consisting of a metal coating 33 deposited on a dielectric substrate 32, the spacer located between two metallized walls may consist of air or comprise a material transparent to radiofrequency waves, such as for example a honeycomb material, or a quartz material, or a material made of kevlar, or an expanded polymer foam.
  • the role of a spacer is to reduce propagation losses, but this spacer is not essential.
  • the metal coating 33 deposited on the substrate 32 is then equivalent to a metal plate 20.
  • the coupling zones 22a, 22b, 22c, 22d and crossing 24 between two adjacent waveguides then consist of a plurality of etched slots in the metal coating, the slots being evenly distributed throughout the coupling zone, respectively throughout the crossing zone, the length of the crossing zone 24 being equal to twice the length of a coupling zone.
  • the phase shift zones consist of metasurfaces, deposited on the metal coating, which modify the propagation delay of the radiofrequency waves.
  • the metasurfaces may, for example, consist of a set of metal pads, or metal patches 30 periodically photogravated by photolithography on the face. internal of the dielectric substrate of the two walls of the corresponding waveguide.
  • the metal patches may for example be short-circuited by connecting them to the metal coating of the wall of the corresponding waveguide, through a metallized through hole 31 arranged in the corresponding dielectric substrate.
  • the distribution period of the metal patches equal to the distance between two adjacent metal patches, is less than the propagation wavelength of the radiofrequency waves in the waveguide with parallel metallic walls.
  • the Butler matrix according to the invention constitutes a one-dimensional beamformer when used alone.
  • the two-dimensional planar beamformer comprises a Butler matrix 41 having N parallel-stacked PPW waveguides stacked one above the other, where N is an integer greater than three and selected among the powers of two, for example, 4, 8, 16, 32 ..., and further comprises an optical device of the optical lens or reflective type.
  • N is an integer greater than three and selected among the powers of two, for example, 4, 8, 16, 32 ...
  • the number N of waveguides PPW1, PPW2, PPW3, PPW4 is equal to 4.
  • the structure of the Butler matrix is identical to that represented on the Figures 3a and 3b .
  • the beam trainer has N optical lenses 42 respectively integrated in the N waveguides delimited by the N + 1 parallel metal plates.
  • the optical lenses 42 are arranged in the waveguides PPW, at the input of the Butler matrix 41, between the input feed horns 43 of each waveguide and the Butler matrix 41, whereas on the figure 7 , the optical lenses 42 are arranged in the waveguides PPW at the outlet of the Butler matrix 41, between the Butler matrix and exit horns 44.
  • each optical lens 42 may be a dielectric lens whose dielectric permittivity is different from that of the propagation medium of the parallel plate waveguides PPW1, PPW2, PPW3, PPW4 (which is equal to 1 if the waveguides PPW1,..., PPW4 are filled with air or equal to the permittivity of the substrate 32 in the case where the waveguides consist of a stack of layers of metallized and etched substrates).
  • Each optical lens 42 integrated in a parallel plate waveguide may have parabolic edges as shown in the waveguide PPW of the figure 8a , or be a lens of variable thickness, or, to avoid shape discontinuities, be a straight-edged lens of constant thickness and refractive index gradient as shown in the waveguide PPW of the figure 8b , or any other type of optical lens with a variable refractive index which makes it possible to phase out the radiofrequency waves according to a predefined phase law.
  • planar beam former thus produced makes it possible, with the Butler matrix 41, to synthesize beams in the XOZ plane perpendicular to the parallel plates and makes it possible, with the optical lens 42, to synthesize beams in the XOY plane parallel to the parallel plates without any discontinuity. propagation in the parallel plate waveguides and without using any interconnection or any connecting cable.
  • each waveguide PPW wave can be connected to several radiating output elements or to a single longitudinal radiating horn 44 coupled to a linear aperture radiating.
  • the number M of feeding horns 43 is equal to 7 per waveguide, ie MN horns input total, equal to 28 for the four PPW waveguides.
  • a single longitudinal radiating horn 44 is used at the output of each waveguide PPW.
  • Each linear aperture radiant coupled to the longitudinal radiating horn 44 output extends transversely over the entire width D of the corresponding waveguide.
  • each linear aperture radiating is oriented to radiate in a direction Z perpendicular to the plane XOY parallel plates but it is not essential, the linear openings could also be in the extension of the parallel plates.
  • the plane of radiation of the longitudinal radiating horns is not an extension of the parallel plates, but is folded with respect to the parallel plates. Of course, this is not essential.
  • a longitudinal horn has the advantage of radiating energy over the entire width of the opening of the parallel plate waveguide, which makes it possible to produce an antenna with a large bandwidth of operation and with a large beam misalignment capability. formed and makes it possible to get rid of network lobes.
  • the dimensions of the beamformer including optical lenses are strongly constrained by the focal length between each optical lens 42 and the input feed horns 43.
  • the required focal distance between each optical lens and the feed horns is advantageously used by the Butler matrix, which makes it possible to reduce the dimensions of the beamformer which is then more compact.
  • radiofrequency waves propagating in the Butler matrix are no longer flat but cylindrical.
  • the figure 9 illustrates another embodiment of a two-dimensional planar beamformer having no discontinuity of spread.
  • the planar beam former comprises 2N + 1 parallel plates 20 constituting the respective walls of 2N parallel plate waveguides distributed over two floors, respectively lower 50 and upper 51.
  • Each stage comprises N guide plates. wave in PPW technology, stacked one above the other, where N is greater than three.
  • Each parallel plate waveguide PPW1, PPW2, PPW3, PPW4 of the lower stage is respectively connected in series with a parallel plate waveguide PPW8, PPW7, PPW6, PPW5 of the upper stage via of a respective intermediate waveguide, with parallel plates PPWP1, PPWP2, PPWP3, PPWP4, arranged orthogonally to the XOY plane of the two stages of the beamformer.
  • the parallel metal plates forming the walls of each intermediate waveguide then form a reflector integrated in the beamformer, as in a pillbox-type beamformer.
  • the parallel metal plates constituting the walls of the intermediate waveguides may comprise a chosen shape profile, which may for example be of straight shape as illustrated in FIG.
  • the N waveguides PPW8, PPW7, PPW6, PPW5 of the upper stage are coupled together by a Butler matrix according to the invention and as described in connection with the Figures 3a and 3b .
  • the invention For operation in double polarization, for example circular, the invention consists in using two identical Butler matrices, respectively dedicated to each polarization, and stacked one above the other as shown on the figure 11 wherein each Butler matrix comprises four waveguides A, B, C, D and A ', B', C ', D', in PPW parallel plate waveguide technology.
  • Each Butler matrix being dedicated to one of the two polarizations, at the output of the beamformer, the PPW waveguides operating in the same polarization are adjacent to each other.
  • the invention also consists in successively crossing adjacent waveguides chosen to group two by two the waveguides of different polarizations.
  • the crossings are made by metasurfaces integrated in the metal plates common to two adjacent waveguides to cross, as explained in connection with the figure 3b . So, in the example of the figure 11 a first crossing is made between the waveguides D and A 'by a metasurface integrated in the fifth metal plate 5. Then two successive crossings are respectively made between the waveguides D and C and between the waveguides B and C by corresponding metasurfaces integrated in the fourth and third metal plates 4, 3.

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EP16161459.9A 2015-03-23 2016-03-21 Butler matrix compact, bi-dimensionales planare beam-former und planarantenne mit einer solchen butler matrix Active EP3073569B1 (de)

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FR1500565A FR3034262B1 (fr) 2015-03-23 2015-03-23 Matrice de butler compacte, formateur de faisceaux bidimensionnel planaire et antenne plane comportant une telle matrice de butler

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SE541861C2 (en) 2017-10-27 2019-12-27 Metasum Ab Multi-layer waveguide, arrangement, and method for production thereof
US10547117B1 (en) 2017-12-05 2020-01-28 Unites States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Air Force Millimeter wave, wideband, wide scan phased array architecture for radiating circular polarization at high power levels
US10840573B2 (en) 2017-12-05 2020-11-17 The United States Of America, As Represented By The Secretary Of The Air Force Linear-to-circular polarizers using cascaded sheet impedances and cascaded waveplates
FR3076088B1 (fr) * 2017-12-26 2020-01-10 Thales Formateur de faisceaux quasi-optique, antenne elementaire, systeme antennaire, plateforme et procede de telecommunications associes
CN109244679B (zh) * 2018-09-11 2023-10-20 中国电波传播研究所（中国电子科技集团公司第二十二研究所） 一种紧凑型多波束天线阵列系统
KR102138445B1 (ko) * 2018-12-11 2020-07-27 광운대학교 산학협력단 소형 버틀러 매트릭스 장치 및 이를 포함하는 빔포밍 안테나 장치
CN110011040A (zh) * 2018-12-29 2019-07-12 瑞声科技(新加坡)有限公司 相扫阵列天线和移动终端
SE544044C2 (en) * 2020-06-09 2021-11-16 Metasum Ab Multi-layer waveguide with metasurface, arrangement, and method for production thereof
WO2022040552A2 (en) 2020-08-21 2022-02-24 The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc. Two-dimensional planar and crossover-free beamforming network architecture
FR3132177B1 (fr) * 2022-01-27 2023-12-15 Thales Sa Formateur de faisceaux quasi-optique à guide d'ondes à plaques parallèles superposées
CN115001548B (zh) * 2022-04-14 2023-07-04 南京邮电大学 一种基于反射和透射超表面的noma无线传输方法
CN117060090B (zh) * 2023-10-11 2024-02-02 华南理工大学 一种宽带圆极化平面集成馈源透射阵天线

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WO2019238643A1 (fr) * 2018-06-12 2019-12-19 Thales Systeme de depointage a formation de faisceau

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US9887458B2 (en) 2018-02-06
FR3034262B1 (fr) 2018-06-01
FR3034262A1 (fr) 2016-09-30
US20160285165A1 (en) 2016-09-29
EP3073569B1 (de) 2020-05-20

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