US3234556A - Broadband biconical wire-grid lens antenna comprising a central beam shaping portion - Google Patents

Broadband biconical wire-grid lens antenna comprising a central beam shaping portion Download PDF

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US3234556A
US3234556A US175369A US17536962A US3234556A US 3234556 A US3234556 A US 3234556A US 175369 A US175369 A US 175369A US 17536962 A US17536962 A US 17536962A US 3234556 A US3234556 A US 3234556A
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wire
grid
grids
antenna
lens
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Robert L Tanner
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Priority to US175370A priority patent/US3234557A/en
Priority to DE19631466432 priority patent/DE1466432A1/de
Priority to FR923199A priority patent/FR1353084A/fr
Priority to GB3785/63A priority patent/GB1025182A/en
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    • 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
    • H01Q15/04—Refracting or diffracting devices, e.g. lens, prism comprising wave-guiding channel or channels bounded by effective conductive surfaces substantially perpendicular to the electric vector of the wave, e.g. parallel-plate waveguide lens

Definitions

  • HF highfrequency
  • rhombic antenna consists of four current carrying conductors, each several wavelengths long, in the form of a diamond or rhombus. The structure is fed at one end by a transmission line and terminated at the other end in a resistance.
  • the two sides of the rhombus are, in effect, a continuation of the feeding transmission line in which the conductors diverge from the feed to the middle of the rhombus and then converge again to the terminating resistance.
  • the rhombic antenna transmits energy in the direction of the termination. As a receiving antenna it receives from that direction.
  • the linear array is composed of many elementary antennas usually resonant dipole antennasarrayed along a line or in a plane.
  • the spacing between the elements of the array is usually about one-half wavelength.
  • the purpose of arranging the elements in an array is that it permits the electromagnetic energy to be concentrated in a relatively narrow beam.
  • the beam may be in the line of the arrayin which case the array is known as an end fire array-or at right angles to itwhen it is called a broadside array.
  • Another type of array which is finding increasing use is the circular or Wullenweber array, in which the elementary antennas are arranged along the periphery of a circle.
  • a beam is formed by feeding the elements in a segment of the array equal to approximately half of the elements of the array.
  • Each element is fed through a separate individual phasing network.
  • the currents in the different elements are adjusted so that their radiations add to form a relatively sharp beam.
  • the beam is in a direction which bisects the are formed by the excited elements.
  • the useful feature of the Wullenweber array is that the direction of the beam can be changed by switching the feeds to a corresponding group of elements at a different angular position in the array.
  • the antennas just described are examples of antenna types that have proved useful in different applications.
  • the rhombic antenna for example, has for many years been the most commonly used antenna in long distance radio communication service. It has the advantages of simplicity, relatively low cost of construction and reasonably good performance.
  • Linear array antennas have been frequently used for short wave broadcasting applications for long distance communications and as radar 3,234,556 Patented Feb. 8, 1966 antennas.
  • the Wullenweber array because of its scanning capability, has been most frequently used as a highresolution direction finding antenna.
  • the antennas described and other existing antennas have proved useful, they all have certain inherent limitations.
  • the rhombic antenna although inexpensive to build it land costs are ignored, makes very inefficient use of land area.
  • a single large rhombic antenna for operation over a 4 to 10 mc. band might require a land area of 10 acres or more.
  • Another limitation is the useful operating bandwidth.
  • Rhombic antennas cannot be operated over frequency bandwidth greater than 2 or 2 /2 to 1 without excessive deterioration in radiation patterns.
  • at least two separate antennas, with a total land requirement of 15 to 20 arces, will be needed for each circuit.
  • the total land area required for the installation of rhombic antennas could be as high as 400 acres.
  • a further limitation of rhombic antennas is the high level of side lobes and back lobes. Principal side lobes may be only 6 db below the main lobe. When used as a receiving antenna the high side lobes of the rhombic make it susceptible to interfering signals arriving at angles different from the principal direction. When it is used as transmitting antenna, the high side lobes cause energy to be radiated in other than the desired direction, giving rise to signals interfering with other circuits, either nearby or in other parts of the world. Still another limitation is that the beam of the rhombic cannot be scanned.
  • the linear array is also subject to certain limitations.
  • the useful operating bandwidth is even narrower than that of the rhombic antenna.
  • such antennas may be substantially more expensive to construct. Their beams can be steered over relatively small angles, by varying the phases of the currents in the different elements of the array, but this is accomplished only at the expense of substantial complication in the feed system, and a consequent increase in cost.
  • the Wullenweber array can be scanned over the entire 360 degree range of azimuth. Because of the many separate phasing circuits and switches required, however, the Wullenweber is very expensive to build. Power handling limitations in the phasing and switching networks tend to limit the use of the Wullenweber to receiving applications. In addition, although the Wullenweber can be scanned to any azimuth angle, it is limited to operation at a single azimuth angle at any given time.
  • the antenna of this invention also is to be capable of operation over a frequency bandwidth greater than 10 to 1.
  • the lens-type antenna of this invention is constructed of a pair of opposed wire mesh grids.
  • the size of the individual meshes is dimensioned to be small compared with the shortest operating wavelength to provide a propagation characteristic which is substantially independent of the operating frequency and isotropic.
  • the equivalent dielectric constant of wire mesh grid structure is changed by changing the distance between opposite grids from a distance of separation which is small compared with the mesh size to a distance of separation which is large compared with the mesh size.
  • the equivalent dielectric constant of the wire mesh structure is changed either by inductively loading the meshes or capacitively loading across the wire-grids.
  • the velocity of propagation varies with the degree of inductive and capacitive loading, and by judicious choice of loading a lens having the desired characteristics is provided.
  • the antenna of this invention will be described in connection with an antenna system for converting a point source of HF energy from a simple feed antenna into a cophasal wave front. Furthermore, the antenna of this invention is constructed to be circularly symmetric, the point source being located at a peripheral portion of the antenna while the main beam is provided by the antenna from the diametrically opposed peripheral portion.
  • a hypothesized optical structure having a similar circularly symmetric focusing property is known as a Luneburg lens. To obtain this symmetric focusing property, the Luneburg lens is fashioned from a disc or sphere of dielectric whose permittivity varies parabolically from a value of 2.0 at the center to a value of 1.0 at the periphery.
  • FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a wire-grid lens antenna constructed in accordance with this invention in which a desired change in the propagation characteristic is obtained by a change in the spacing between opposite wiregrids;
  • FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along lines 2-2 of FIG. 1;
  • FIG. 3 is a schematic top view of a Luneburg-type lens for converting a peripherally located point source into diametrically opposed cophasal plane wave;
  • FIG. 4 is a sectional view similar to the view shown in FIG. 2 of a further embodiment of the wire-grid lens antenna;
  • FIG. 5 is an enlarged detail view in perspective of a pie-shaped portion of the wire-grid lens antenna of FIG. 4;
  • FIG. 6 is an illustrative diagram of wave propagation parallel to one of the wires of a square Wit m 115?" ful in explaining the theory of operation of this invention
  • FIG. 7 is an illustrative diagram of wave propagation along a diagonal of the wires of a square wire mesh useful in explaining the theory of operation of this invention.
  • FIG. 8 is a top View of a lens portion constructed of hexagon mesh wire-grids
  • FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a further embodiment of a wire-grid lens portion of the antenna of this invention in which the change in the propagation characteristic is obtained by selective capacitive loading across opposing wire meshes;
  • FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a still further embodiment of a wire-grid lens portion of the antenna of this invention in which the change in the propagation characteristic is obtained by selective inductive loading of the meshes of the wire meshes;
  • FIG. 11 is a top view of a lens portion of a further embodiment of this invention.
  • wire-grid lens antenna 20 constructed in accordance with this invention and comprising an upper wire-grid 21 and a lower wiregrid 22.
  • Wire-grids 21 and 22 are circular and are suspended in opposite and overlying relation from a plurality of non-conductive peripheral support members 23 such as wooden, plastic or fiber glass poles.
  • Antenna 20 actually comprises a center portion 24 which forms a wire-grid lens for azimuthal beam shaping and a peripheral portion 25 which forms a radiating structure for elevational beam shaping and for matching the impedance between lens 24 and the surrounding space.
  • radiating structure 25 is formed as a biconical, or radially flared horn.
  • upper wire-grid 21 may include an upper lens wire-grid fastened securely to an aluminum ring 31 which is light in weight and which may also be supported upon a plurality of circularly spaced nonconductive poles 32 as best shown in FIG. 2. Smoothly joined to ring 31 is the inner edge of an upper horn wiregrid 33 in the form of an annulus which has its outer edge supported by peripheral poles 23.
  • lower wiregrid 22 may be made in two parts, a lower lens wire-grid 34 fastened to an aluminum ring 35 supported upon poles 32 below ring 31 and a lower horn wire-grid 36 fastened along its inner edge to ring 35 and supported along its outer edge by peripheral poles 23.
  • the radiating structure 25 of antenna 20 is shown in the form of a biconical horn of wire mesh similar to that used for the construction of lens 24, other types of radiators or wave launching devices may be used. These would include horns utilizing a different type of wire-grid. Horns formed of solid conductive sheet may likewise be utilized. For example, a wire-grid having a different mesh structure from that employed in forming lens 24 may be used as shown in FIG. 5.
  • lens wire-grids 30 and 34 are formed of metallic wires and may have a variety of different mesh structures.
  • the mesh structure may be square, triangular or hexagonal.
  • the two wire-grids 30 and 34 forming a lens must be substantially identical to one another and must be oriented with respect to one another in such a manner that corresponding sides of opposite wire meshes lie in a common plane which is vertical to both wire-grids, at least in those lens portions in which wiregrid separation is equal to or less than the mesh size. The reason therefore is that when grid separation is small, corresponding sides of opposite meshes form two-wire transmission lines.
  • Lens 24 having been formed with proper alignment of correspondingly opposed meshes, has been found to have certain very important properties. As long as the operating wavelength is large compared to the mesh size, the transmission characteristic of the space between Wire grids 30 and 34 is substantially independent of the operating frequency and depends solely on the distance of their separation. It has been determined that for all practical purposes good independence is obtained by selecting the mesh to be equal to or less than one-sixth of the shortest operating wavelength. Accordingly, the mesh size determines the highest frequency of operation of the lens of this invention.
  • the diameter of grid-wire lens 24 determines the lowest frequency of operation of this invention.
  • the bandwidth of the wiregrid lens antenna is determined at the high frequency end by the mesh size and at the low frequency end by the lens diameter.
  • lens 24 may be utilized to construct an infinite variety of lenses, each having a desirable transmission characteristic which varies in accordance with grid spacing.
  • a particularly useful lens 36 is shown in FIG. 3 which is formed to convert a point source 37 located at its periphery into a cophasal line front 38 diametrically opposite thereto.
  • the path of energy is designated by reference numeral 39.
  • a lens having the above stated property is known as the microwave equivalent of the optical Luneburg lens.
  • the bending, and therefore the velocity of propagation increases with increasing angular deviation from the diametrical bisector passing through source 37.
  • the required relation of the transmission characteristic of a Luneburg lens is given by the relation Where:
  • a is the diameter of the wire-grid lens
  • r is the distance from the center of the wire-grid lens.
  • a wire-grid lens in accordance with this invention, it is only necessary to derive an expression for the transmission characteristic in terms of distance of separation of the wire-grids and the coordinates of the lens and thereafter determine s for every point of the lens.
  • the equivalent index of refraction is a function of size and shape of the mesh, the diameter of the wire and the spacing between wire-grids.
  • a formula for the index of refraction of a square mesh is given in Properties of a Pair of Wire-Grids for Use in Lens-Type HF Antennas by Andreasen and Tanner, 1961 Western Electronic Show and Convention, paper No. l/ 3.
  • FIGS. 4 and 5 there is shown a further embodiment of the wire-grid lens antenna in which the lower wire-grid is planar and in which a sectional construction is utilized, each section being pie-shaped.
  • An tenna 45 comprises a plurality of pie-shaped sections 45, each one of which includes a planarly suspended pieshaped lower wire-grid 46 and a curvedly suspended pieshaped upper wire-grid 47.
  • the center of antenna 44 is formed by a non-conductive support pole 48 to which the pointed end of the individual pie-shaped wire-grids are attached. Additional non-conductive support poles 49 are provided to assure a good durable suspension without undue sag.
  • Wire-grids 4-6 and 47 are of triangular mesh and are spaced in such a manner that the wires are substantially parallel to form individual transmission lines.
  • the peripheral edge of each pie-shaped wire-grid 47 may be affixed to an aluminum ring 50 which is supported on non-conductive support poles 49 and which provides a convenient edge support for a flared horn radiating structure 51.
  • Radiating structure 51 likewise includes a plurality of a lower and an upper annular wire-grid sectors 52 and 53, but instead of having a triangular mesh structure they are formed of square mesh.
  • the outer peripheral edge of wire-grids sectors 53 are supported by nonconductive poles 54 which may be anchored by means of guy wires 55. For proper functioning, the guy wires must be broken at intervals by means of insulators.
  • the inner peripheral edge of wire-grid sectors 53 are fastened to ring 50.
  • Wire-grid sectors 52 are shown to form planar extension of lens wire-grids 46 to allow antenna 44 to be as close to the ground as possible and to provide a slightly upwardly directed beam.
  • radiating structure 51 may be formed to have both its upper and its lower annular wall flared at any angle to provide the desired elevational beam angle and beam pattern.
  • FIGURES 6 and 7 both show a portion of a square-mesh wire-grid lens.
  • FIGURE 6 shows a wire-grid lens portion 60, in which the upper wire grid is spatially positioned exactly over the lower wire grid of the pair of grids forming the lens. The lower grid is consequently hidden from view by the upper wire grid.
  • Representative wires forming the wire grids are shown as wires 61 and 62.
  • FIGURE 7 similarly shows a wire-grid lens portion 63 in which the upper wire grid is spatially positioned so as to hide the lower wire grid from view.
  • Representative wires of the visible wire grid are 64 and 65.
  • FIGURE 7 A representative corridor is shown in FIGURE 7 contained between lines 74 and 75.
  • the upper and lower grids are spaced a distance which is small compared to the distance between nodes of the mesh.
  • opposing wires in the upper and lower grids constitute, in effect, the two wires of a twowire transmission line, the plane of which is perpendicular to the plane of the grids. That portion of the wave which travels down the corridor defined by lines 74 and 75 includes currents 72 and 73.
  • the wave energy is constrained to follow the direction of the wires.
  • the wave advances a distance equal to the diagonal of the mesh square.
  • the actual distance travelled by the Wave is equal to two times the mesh side. The distance actually traveled is therefore greater than the distance of effective advance by the ratio VT, which is the ratio of twice the side of a square to its diagonal. As a consequence, the wave has been effectively slowed by the factor equal to /2.
  • FIGURE 6 where the wave travels parallel to wire 62. Again, because it advances on a broad front it can be considered as traveling down many parallel corridors.
  • a corridor is defined by lines 66 and 67. Because of the symmetry of currents in adjacent corridors, no current flows across these lines, which is equivalent to saying, in considering the portion of the wave traveling down this corridor, that lines 66 and 67 could be replaced by a perfect open circuit, and the remainder of the grid structure on either side of the corridor removed.
  • the structure contained in the corridor defined by 66 and 67 is now equivalent to a central two-wire transmission line carrying current 70 loaded at intervals equal to the mesh side length by the short sections or stubs of open-circuited two-wire transmission line into which the cross wires degenerate.
  • the impedance presented by the small open-circuited stubs is capactive, and their effect is to apply to the transmission line formed by the central wires of the corridor a periodic capactive loading which in effect doubles the capacitance per unit length of that line, but leaves its inductance unchanged.
  • the wave velocity on an open two-wire transmission line is equal to the velocity of light in free space and is given by the formula where C is the capacitance per unit length of the transmission line and L is the inductance per unit length. Because the effect of the cross wires of the grid is to apply a capactive loading which doubles the effective capacitance per unit length of the line, the velocity of the wave in the grid is seen to be It is therefore evident that a wave traveling parallel to one set of grid wires is slowed by a factor equal to /2, just as was the case with a wave traveling in a direction diagonal to the grid wires.
  • the wire grid pair for this condition is also substantially isotropic.
  • the square-mesh and the triangular-mesh wire-grids are not the only grid structures useful in practicing this invention.
  • both the triangular-mesh and hexagonal-mesh have more planes of symmetry, they are less anisotropic.
  • the hexagonal mesh has been found to show the least frequency dependence.
  • FIG. 8 shows a hexagonal-mesh wire-grid which has been found useful in practicing the invention.
  • FIGS. 9, l0 and 11 show three further embodiments of wire-grid lenses.
  • the Wave velocity of a wave propagating between an upper wire-grid 91 and a lower wire-grid 92 is slowed down by selective capacitive loading.
  • Wiregrids 91 and 92 may be suspended in overlying relation and a number of capacitive loads such as 93 connected across junction points 94.
  • the advantage of a capacitive loading is that the velocity may be decreased below /Z of the velocity of light, the lowest velocity obtainable with unloaded Wire-grid lenses.
  • capacitive loads provide a means for increasing the range through which the velocity may be changed.
  • FIG. 10 shows a wire-grid lens comprising an upper wire-grid 101 overlying a lower wire-gird 102.
  • the wave velocity is decreased by inserting inductive loading into the wires between junction points such as inductive loads 103.
  • the velocity can be decreased by a value below /2 of that of the free space velocity by utilizing lumped inductors 103, thereby overcoming the range limitation of changing the distance of separation of overlying spaced wire-grids.
  • a wire-grid lens antenna may be constructed incorporating a change of wire-grid spacing in combination with capacitive and/ or inductive loading.
  • the wave velocity may be changed from that of free space velocity to /2 of free space velocity by utilizing the rather convenient method of varying the separation between wire-grids and in those places where a further decrease of velocity is desired, capacitive or inductive loading is added.
  • FIG. 11 shows a wire-grid lens 110 comprising a pair of overlying wire-grids, the upper one being designated by reference character 111 and the lower one being hidden from view by grid 111.
  • the wave velocity is decreased in lens 116* by physically lengthening the path from one mesh junction point, say 112, to the adjacent junction point, say 113. This lengthening of path is accomplished by including a zig-zag portion 114 in the wire forming the side of a mesh.
  • the wave velocity in a wire-grid lens is equal to the velocity of light when the grid spacing is large in comparison with the mesh size.
  • the wave velocity can be decreased by decreasing the spacing between wire-grids. In this manner the slowest wave velocity obtainable is /2 the velocity of light.
  • the wave velocity can also be decreased by inductive and capacitive loading which produces a phase shift.
  • the velocity may also be decreased by increasing the physical path length of the transmission line as shown in FIG. 11.
  • Feeding of the grid-wire lens antenna may be accomplished by conventional means such as a feed horn mounted for rotation along the peripheral portion of the lens antenna.
  • a feed horn mounted for rotation along the peripheral portion of the lens antenna.
  • a single lens structure with fixed feed horns facing the azimuthal direction of radiation provide a very useful structure.
  • the wave velocity may be changed by (l) changing in spacing between grids or (2) capacitive loading of the grid or (3) inductive loading of the grid or (4) increasing the transmission line geometrically between mesh junctions.
  • the antenna of this invention remains relatively insensitive to frequency as long as the mesh size is small compared with the shortest operating wavelength.
  • a wire-grid lens antenna comprising a pair of spaced, overlying, conductive wire-grids having substantially the same mesh structure, the mesh openings of said wire-grids having a size which is small in comparison with the shortest operating wavelength and being arranged in substantial spaced alignment with one another, said spaced Wire grids defining therebetween a Wave propagating region for a wave polarized with its electric field perpendicular to the plane of the Wire grid, means for supporting said overlying wire-grids at each point of said antenna with a spacing varying from a distance which is large in comparison with the mesh opening size to a distance which is small in comparison with the mesh opening size to provide a selected variation of the wave propagation velocity from that substantially equal to the velocity of light to that substantially equal to 1/2 the velocity of light.
  • a circularly symmetric wire-grid lens antenna for converting a peripherally located point source of radiation to a cophasally extended source directing a beam along the diametrical bisector of said antenna which passes through said point source, said antenna comprising a pair of circular, spaced, overlying, conductive wire-grids arranged to form a surface of revolution about the axis of said antenna, the said spaced wire grids defining therebetween a wave propagating region for a wave polarized with its electric field perpendicular to the plane of the wire grid, mesh opening size of said wire-grids being less than one-fourth of the shortest operating wavelength and the spacing of said wire-grids increasing in a radially outwardly going direction from a distance which is small compared with the mesh opening size to a distance which is large compared with the mesh opening size, and non-conductive means for supporting and spacing said wire-grids.
  • a circularly symmetric wire-grid lens antenna for converting a peripherally located point source of radiation to a cophasally extended source directing a beam along the diametrical bisector of said antenna which passes through said point source, said antenna comprising a pair of circular, spaced, overlying conductive wiregrids arranged to form a surface of revolution about the axis of said antenna, said spaced Wire grids defining therebetween a wave propagating region for a wave polarized with its electric field perpendicular to the plane of the wire grid, the mesh opening size of said wire-grids being less than one-fourth of the shortest operating wavelength, the diameter of said wire-grids being greater than twice the longest operating wavelength, and non-conductive means supporting said wire-grids with a spacing which increases in a radially outwardly going direction from a distance which is small compared with the mesh opening size to a distance which is large compared with the mesh opening size.
  • a circularly symmetric wire-grid lens antenna for converting a peripherally located point source of radiation to a cophasally extended source directing a beam along the diametrical bisector of said antenna which passes through said point source, said antenna comprising a pair of circular, spaced, overlying conductive wire-grids arranged to form a surface of revolution about the axis of said antenna, said spaced wire grids defining therebetween a wave propagating region for a wave polarized with its electric field perpendicular to the plane of the wire grid, the mesh opening size of said Wire-grids being less than one-fourth of the shortest operating wavelength, the diameter of said wire-grids being greater than twice the largest operating wavelength and the spacing of said wiregrids increasing in a radially outwardly going direction from a distance which is less than one-half the mesh opening size to a distance which is greater than twice the mesh opening size, a radiating structure afiixed to the peripheral edge of said pair of wire-grids,
  • a wire-grid lens antenna in accordance with claim 4 in which said variations in wire-grid spacing is such that the effective dielectric constant varies parabolically.
  • a wire-grid lens antenna comprising a central radiation beam shaping structure with a beam radiating structure on the periphery, said central beam shaping structure including a pair of conductive, spaced, overlying wire-grids whose mesh opening size is less than onefourth of the shortest operating wavelength, said spaced wire grids defining therebetween a Wave propagating region for a wave polarized with its electric field perpendicular to the plane of the wire grid, the spacing between opposite points on said pair of wire-grids being selected to provide a desired predetermined relative effective permittivity.
  • a wire-grid lens antenna comprising a central radiation beam shaping structure with a beam radiating structure on the periphery, said central beam shaping structure including a pair of conductive, spaced, overlying wiregrids each having a mesh opening size of less than onefourth of the shortest operating Wavelength and having a maximum wire-grid separation of less than five times the mesh size, said spaced wire grids defining therebetween a wave propagating region for a Wave polarized with its electric field perpendicular to the plane of the wire grid, and lumped impedance means associated with certain meshes for decreasing the relative efiective permittivity between said certain meshes.
  • a wire-grid lens in accordance with claim 7 in which said lumped impedance are inductors connected in series with the wires forming the sides of said certain meshes.
  • a wire-grid lens in accordance with claim 7 in which said lumped impedance are capacitors connected between opposite junctions forming the corners of said certain meshes.
  • a Wire-grid lens antenna comprising a central radiation beam shaping structure with a beam radiating structure on the periphery, said central beam shaping structure including a pair of conductive, spaced, overlying wiregrids having a mesh opening size of less than one-fourth of the shortest operating wavelength, said spaced wire grids defining therebetween a Wave propagating region for a wave polarized with itselectric field perpendicular to the plane of the wire grid, certain pairs of overlying meshes being formed of Wires which include a zig-zag portion for increasing the mesh size, the increase in electrical path length being selected to provide a predetermined decrease in the relative elfective permittivity in the region of said certain meshes.
  • a wire-grid lens antenna comprising a substantially circular central beam shaping portion surrounded by a beam radiating portion, said central beam shaping portion comprising a pair of conductive, spaced, overlying wire-grids arranged to form a surface of revolution about the axis of said antenna, said spaced Wire grids defining therebetween a wave propagating region for a wave polarized with its electric field perpendicular to the plane of the wire grid, the mesh size of said wire-grids being less than one-fourth of the shortest operating wavelength, said beam radiating portion extending from said pair of circular wire-grids in the form of a biconical horn.
  • a wire-grid lens antenna comprising a central beam shaping structure surrounded by a beam radiating structure, said central beam shaping structure including a pair of spaced, overlying conductive wire-grids of the same mesh structure, said spaced wire grids defining therebetween a wave propagating region for a wave polarized with its electric field perpendicular to the plane of the wire grid, the mesh openings of said wire-grids having a size which is small in comparison with the shortest operating wavelength and being arranged in substantial spaced alignment with one another, the spacing between overlying 113.
  • a wire-grid lens antenna comprising a pair of spaced, overlying, conductive wire-grid meshes having a mesh opening size which is smaller than one-fourth of the shortest operating wavelength, and means for supporting said grid meshes relative to one another to flare outwardly in all directions from their center at a rate increasing with the radial distance from their center whereby a plane Wave applied to one edge of said pair of grid meshes with a polarization such that its electric field is perpendicular to the plane of said grid meshes is focused substantially at a point at the opposite edge.

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US175369A 1962-02-23 1962-02-23 Broadband biconical wire-grid lens antenna comprising a central beam shaping portion Expired - Lifetime US3234556A (en)

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Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
NL288228D NL288228A (enrdf_load_html_response) 1962-02-23
US175369A US3234556A (en) 1962-02-23 1962-02-23 Broadband biconical wire-grid lens antenna comprising a central beam shaping portion
US175370A US3234557A (en) 1962-02-23 1962-02-23 Non-uniform wire-grid lens antenna
DE19631466432 DE1466432A1 (de) 1962-02-23 1963-01-24 Drahtgitter-Linsenantenne
FR923199A FR1353084A (fr) 1962-02-23 1963-01-30 Antenne en grillage de fil métallique, en forme de lentille
GB3785/63A GB1025182A (en) 1962-02-23 1963-01-30 Improvements relating to radio lenses

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US175369A US3234556A (en) 1962-02-23 1962-02-23 Broadband biconical wire-grid lens antenna comprising a central beam shaping portion
US175370A US3234557A (en) 1962-02-23 1962-02-23 Non-uniform wire-grid lens antenna

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US175370A Expired - Lifetime US3234557A (en) 1962-02-23 1962-02-23 Non-uniform wire-grid lens antenna

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Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3273154A (en) * 1964-05-27 1966-09-13 Control Data Corp Lens feed system
US3363251A (en) * 1965-01-25 1968-01-09 Sperry Rand Corp Wire grid antenna exhibiting luneberg lens properties
US3465343A (en) * 1965-10-11 1969-09-02 Control Data Corp Multi-hop ramp feed for wire-grid lens antenna
US4074731A (en) * 1974-07-01 1978-02-21 Trw Inc. Compliant mesh structure and method of making same
US5115249A (en) * 1990-08-28 1992-05-19 Grumman Aerospace Corporation Arrangement for window shade-deployed radar
US5686930A (en) * 1994-01-31 1997-11-11 Brydon; Louis B. Ultra lightweight thin membrane antenna reflector
CN108075236A (zh) * 2017-12-27 2018-05-25 西安电子科技大学 一种基于周期性半高销钉的超宽带透镜天线

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US3541565A (en) * 1967-09-06 1970-11-17 Csf Electronic-scanning antennas

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US2485138A (en) * 1946-10-03 1949-10-18 Rca Corp High-gain antenna system
US2511916A (en) * 1944-07-06 1950-06-20 Wave guide for high-frequency electric currents
US2576182A (en) * 1950-01-21 1951-11-27 Rca Corp Scanning antenna system
US2576181A (en) * 1947-10-28 1951-11-27 Rca Corp Focusing device for centimeter waves
US2596251A (en) * 1948-10-01 1952-05-13 Bell Telephone Labor Inc Wave guide lens system
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US2756424A (en) * 1952-04-30 1956-07-24 Edward A Lewis Wire grid fabry-perot type interferometer
US2884629A (en) * 1945-11-29 1959-04-28 Samuel J Mason Metal-plate lens microwave antenna
US3047860A (en) * 1957-11-27 1962-07-31 Austin B Swallow Two ply electromagnetic energy reflecting fabric
US3116485A (en) * 1960-06-27 1963-12-31 Ite Circuit Breaker Ltd Omnidirectional horn radiator for beacon antenna

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GB402834A (en) * 1931-07-29 1933-12-14 Fed Telegraph Co Improvements in or relating to directional radio beam systems
US2511916A (en) * 1944-07-06 1950-06-20 Wave guide for high-frequency electric currents
US2884629A (en) * 1945-11-29 1959-04-28 Samuel J Mason Metal-plate lens microwave antenna
US2485138A (en) * 1946-10-03 1949-10-18 Rca Corp High-gain antenna system
US2576181A (en) * 1947-10-28 1951-11-27 Rca Corp Focusing device for centimeter waves
US2596251A (en) * 1948-10-01 1952-05-13 Bell Telephone Labor Inc Wave guide lens system
US2720588A (en) * 1949-07-22 1955-10-11 Nat Res Dev Radio antennae
US2576182A (en) * 1950-01-21 1951-11-27 Rca Corp Scanning antenna system
US2756424A (en) * 1952-04-30 1956-07-24 Edward A Lewis Wire grid fabry-perot type interferometer
US3047860A (en) * 1957-11-27 1962-07-31 Austin B Swallow Two ply electromagnetic energy reflecting fabric
US3116485A (en) * 1960-06-27 1963-12-31 Ite Circuit Breaker Ltd Omnidirectional horn radiator for beacon antenna

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US3273154A (en) * 1964-05-27 1966-09-13 Control Data Corp Lens feed system
US3363251A (en) * 1965-01-25 1968-01-09 Sperry Rand Corp Wire grid antenna exhibiting luneberg lens properties
US3465343A (en) * 1965-10-11 1969-09-02 Control Data Corp Multi-hop ramp feed for wire-grid lens antenna
US4074731A (en) * 1974-07-01 1978-02-21 Trw Inc. Compliant mesh structure and method of making same
US5115249A (en) * 1990-08-28 1992-05-19 Grumman Aerospace Corporation Arrangement for window shade-deployed radar
US5686930A (en) * 1994-01-31 1997-11-11 Brydon; Louis B. Ultra lightweight thin membrane antenna reflector
CN108075236A (zh) * 2017-12-27 2018-05-25 西安电子科技大学 一种基于周期性半高销钉的超宽带透镜天线

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US3234557A (en) 1966-02-08
DE1466432A1 (de) 1968-12-19
GB1025182A (en) 1966-04-06
NL288228A (enrdf_load_html_response)

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