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It is demonstrated that combining phased array antennas with dielectric lenses constitutes a suitable solution to increase the energy efficiency in next-generation communication systems. A dielectric lens is designed to increase the gain of an array antenna working in the 3GPP n257 band (26.5–29.5 GHz). The simulated results demonstrate that the dielectric lens increases the gain between 0.4 and 1.3 dB in a large scanning range from 0° to 60° at 28 GHz; meaning that the output RF power can be decreased by up to 26% for a same equivalent isotropic radiated power required from the base station., QC 20230913

In this article, we propose an innovative concept to realize flexible and cost-effective array antenna systems for next generation communication systems. The idea is to tailor the performance of an antenna array to different use case scenarios by applying a customized dielectric lens placed in front of the array. By combining a lens with an array, we can improve certain performance properties of the antenna system and adapt it for unique site locations and requirements. Moreover, the lens may also act as a radome, providing mechanical protection from environmental conditions. This study consists of exploring the possibilities of using a lens to increase the gain of the antenna in certain directions: scanning range close to broadside (from 0 degrees to 30 degrees), and extreme scanning ranges (from 60 degrees to 80 degrees)., Part of ISBN 978-88-31299-07-7QC 20230911

Here, we propose a generalized ray-tracing (RT) model to accurately compute the radiation patterns and radiation efficiency of lossy non-rotationally symmetric geodesic lens antennas. The RT model uses geometrical optics to obtain the ray paths from the source to the aperture, ray tube theory to calculate the field amplitude distribution, and Kirchhoff's diffraction formula to compute the radiation pattern. Losses in geodesic lenses are mainly produced by the finite conductivity and roughness of the metallic plates. These losses are added to the calculation of the radiation pattern to estimate the radiation efficiency of the antenna. To demonstrate the accuracy of the proposed RT model, a geodesic half-Maxwell fish-eye lens is designed. Radiation patterns, scan losses, and radiation efficiency are calculated. These results agree well with those computed by full-wave simulations., Part of ISBN 978-88-31299-07-7QC 20230911

Antennas in emerging millimeter-wave (mm-wave) applications are often required to have low losses and produce a steerable directive beam. These properties are achievable with fully metallic geodesic Luneburg lens antennas. In this communication, we report the first experimental verification of a geodesic Luneburg lens antenna in the V-band. The designed lens antenna is fed with 13 waveguides providing beam switching capability in a 110?degrees range. The lens is implemented in the parallel plate waveguide (PPW) technology. The antenna is manufactured in two pieces, and a tolerance analysis indicates that gaps between the pieces can cause a severe performance degradation. Based on this tolerance analysis, two measures are taken to alleviate the manufacturing tolerances for the prototype. First, electromagnetic band gap (EGB) structures are placed around the feeding waveguides. Second, the electrical contact between the two pieces is improved in critical regions. Two prototypes are manufactured, one without and one with the extra measures implemented. The measured radiation patterns of the prototype without these measures have high side lobes and low realized gain compared with the simulation. The measurements of the robust version of the prototype agree well with the simulations and demonstrate the applicability of geodesic Luneburg lens antennas for applications in the V-band., QC 20230630

Antennas for future communication systems are required to be highly directive and steerable to compensate for the high path loss in the millimeter-wave band. In this work, we propose a linear array of modulated geodesic Luneburg lens (the so-called water drop lens) antennas operating at 56-62 GHz. The lens array antenna features 2-D beam scanning with low structural complexity. The lenses are fully metallic and implemented in parallel plate waveguides (PPWs), meaning that they are highly efficient. Each lens is fed with 13 rectangular waveguides surrounded by glide-symmetric holes to suppress leakage. The lenses provide 110? beam coverage in the H-plane with scan losses below 1 dB. In order to scan in the E-plane, we use a feeding network based on a 1:4 power divider and three phase shifters. In this configuration, the array can scan 60? in the E-plane, albeit with higher scanning losses than in the H-plane. The lens array is manufactured and a good agreement between simulated and experimental results is obtained., QC 20230510

The Physical Optics (PO) method is used to derive simplified expressions to compute the radiation electric fields of planar graded-index and geodesic lenses based on a parallel-plate waveguide (PPW) implementation. If the PO method is combined with ray-tracing (RT) techniques, the resulting RT-PO procedure is capable of computing radiation patterns and gain of the PPW-based lens antennas when their apertures have a general shape and the electric field is vertically polarized. The RT-PO method is validated by comparing it with the full-wave simulation results of the commercial software ANSYS HFSS for three application cases. The results show that the RT-PO approach is not only very efficient from a computational point of view but also accurate, thus being a very convenient analysis/design tool for this kind of antenna.

This thesis focuses on the understanding and computation of the dispersion properties of periodic structures possessing higher symmetries with the multimodal transfer matrix method (MMTMM). Periodic structures with higher symmetries are invariant after additional symmetry operations over the translation operation. To demonstrate the potential of the MMTMM, three structures with spatial higher symmetries are proposed and their operation explained based on the constituent modes. In this thesis, I propose, analyze and explain the operation of two structures possessing glide symmetry and one with twist symmetry. Glide-symmetric structures remain invariant after a mirroring and a translation whereas twist-symmetric structures remain invariant after n rotations and translations. These structures inherently have low dispersion due to the interactions of the fundamental mode with higher order modes. The MMTMM has been implemented in order to efficiently compute the complex propagation constant of these structures. This is a hybrid method that models a unit cell as a multiport network. Each port accounts for one mode, so the coupling between modes is considered. Commercial software is used to compute the ABCD-matrix, then post-processing is used to get both the phase and attenuation constant due to material losses, electromagnetic bandgaps and/or radiation. This method permits the study of complex structures while enabling a fundamental understanding of the modes that contribute to the dispersion properties, as well as their interactions. The first periodic structure analyzed in this thesis is a dielectric-filled corrugated waveguide. It allows the propagation of a backward mode in a wide frequency band. A discussion on the convergence of the method concludes that it is needed families of TE/TM modes with the same number of variations in the x direction. The second structure is a glide-symmetric dielectric unit cell placed in a parallel plate waveguide. This unit cell can, QC 20220926

This article summarizes the recently discovered opportunities of geodesic lenses for producing high-performing antennas for 5G/6G communications. First, we explain the operation of these lenses based on Geometrical Optics with rays that follow "the shortest optical path" on the geodesic surface. Also, we explain the connection between geodesic lenses and rotationally symmetric graded-index lenses. Generally, geodesic lenses can be implemented without the need of dielectric materials, resulting in very efficient devices constructed with a fully-metallic configuration. When combined with a feeding network and a radiating transition, such as a flare or a leaky wave, they can produce a multiple-beam lens antenna, of interest for applications requiring one-dimensional (e.g., azimuthal) coverage diversity such as in cell tower communication systems. Prototypes of these antennas have been recently tested, demonstrating remarkable performance in the Ka-band, part of which is considered for 5G. At high operational frequencies allocated for 5G/6G, geodesic lenses offer an opportunity to produce cost-effective antenna solutions with high directivity, high efficiency and spatial diversity through multiple beams., QC 20220309

The Multimodal Transfer Matrix Method (MMTMM) is a hybrid approach that efficiently computes the dispersion relation of a periodic structure. It is able to retrieve both the phase shift and attenuation constant of any arbitrary structure susceptible to be analyzed by means of commercial simulators. Here, we propose the use of this method in order to get a physical insight of periodic structures possessing higher symmetries. The MMTMM is here explained and corroborated with two different structures: a glide-symmetric dielectric-filled corrugated rectangular waveguide and a three-fold twist-symmetric bricks embedded in a dielectric waveguide. The first structure allows for the propagation of backward modes below the hollow waveguide cut-off frequency, whereas the second one has handedness selection., Part of proceedings: ISBN 978-88-31299-04-6QC 20220826

In this work, we design a planar half-Luneburg lens antenna. The gradient of refractive index is realized using a dielectric slab periodically loaded with air-cavities of varying size. The cavities are glide-symmetrically arranged. It is demonstrated that by introducing glide symmetry, the bandwidth and range of realizable refractive indices are increased compared to a non-glide-symmetric structure. The lens antenna operates from 22 to 32 GHz and can scan its directive beam over a 50 degree range in the H-plane. The side lobe level in this scan range is lower than -10 dB throughout the band., QC 20220812Part of proceedings: ISBN 978-88-31299-04-6

This paper presents a model developed to numerically determine the radiation pattern presented by a given geodesic lens. A simplified model describing the trajectory of a TEM-mode wave through the lens was required as a time-efficient alternative to commercial software. Geometrical optics have been used to approximate the ray trajectory from the source to the aperture of the lens. The power conservation in ray tubes is then used to evaluate the amplitude of the electric field in the aperture, knowing the distribution at the source. The Kirchhoff diffraction formula is finally numerically approximated to evaluate the farfield. Three examples have been simulated with our algorithm and compared with full-wave simulations. We demonstrate that our assumptions provide a good agreement with full-wave simulation while reducing significantly the computation time, thus providing an efficient method for design optimization. Most notably, this more general formulation may be extended to non-rotationally symmetric lenses., QC 20220812Part of proceedings: ISBN 978-88-31299-04-6

Here, we propose a modulated geodesic lens antenna array in E-band (56-62 GHz), which has scanning abilities in both azimuth and elevation. The array consists of four lens antenna elements, and each lens antenna produces 13 independent beams that cover 110 degrees in the H-plane with scan losses below 1 dB. The array is fed with a 1:4 power divider comprising three phase shifters to scan in the E-plane. The distance between lenses in the E-plane is 0.7 wavelengths at 60 GHz. The E-plane coverage is 60 degrees with scan losses around -2.2 dB. The maximum realized gain varies from 20.8 to 24.1 dB across the frequency band., QC 20230316

We propose a circular twist-symmetric dielectric waveguide that is polarization-selective. In the practical implementation of optical fibers, a selective circular polarization is more convenient than its linearly polarized counterpart where previous knowledge of the emitted polarization from the transmitter is unknown. The analysis of the waveguide was conducted with three methods: an eigenmode approach, simulation of a truncated structure, and the so-called multimodal transfer-matrix method (MMTMM). The presented simulations demonstrate that the operational band can be manipulated by tuning the parameters of the structure. Furthermore, the MMTMM allows for a direct and accurate calculation of the attenuation constant of the rejected circular polarization., QC 20210727

We propose a circular twist-symmetric dielectric waveguide that is polarization-selective. In the practical implementation of optical fibers, a selective circular polarization is more convenient than its linearly polarized counterpart where previous knowledge of the emitted polarization from the transmitter is unknown. The analysis of the waveguide was conducted with three methods: an eigenmode approach, simulation of a truncated structure, and the so-called multimodal transfer matrix method (MMTMM). The presented simulations demonstrate that the operational band can be manipulated by tuning the parameters of the structure. Furthermore, the MMTMM allows for a direct and accurate calculation of the attenuation constant of the rejected circular polarization.

This work studies the propagation characteristics of a rectangular waveguide with aligned/ misaligned double-sided dielectric-filled metallic corrugations. Two modes are found to propagate in the proposed double-sided configuration below the hollow-waveguide cutoff frequency: a quasi resonant mode and a backward mode. This is in contrast to the single-sided configuration, which only allows for backward propagation. Moreover, the double-sided configuration can be of interest for waveguide miniaturization on account of the broader band of its backward mode. The width of the stopband between the quasi-resonant and backward modes can be controlled by the misalignment of the top and bottom corrugations, being null for the glide-symmetric case. The previous study is complemented with numerical results showing the impact of the height of the corrugations, as well as the filling dielectric permittivity, on the bandwidth and location of the appearing negative effective-permeability band. The multi-modal transmission-matrix method has also been employed to estimate the rejection level and material losses in the structure and to determine which port modes are associated with the quasi-resonant and backward modes. Finally, it is shown that glide symmetry can advantageously be used to reduce the dispersion and broadens the operating band of the modes

In this letter, we propose and study a 2-D glide-symmetric dielectric periodic structure. We demonstrate that glide symmetry broadens the bandwidth of operation and achieves lower effective refractive indices when compared to non-glide configurations. These two properties are beneficial for producing graded-index lens antennas. To demonstrate the potential of the proposed unit cell, we designed a Luneburg lens operating in the K- and K-a-bands. The lens was manufactured with conventional additive manufacturing and it has a potential use for future wireless communications given its low-cost and low-profile., QC 20211206

This work studies the propagation characteristics of a rectangular waveguide with aligned/misaligned double-sided dielectric-filled metallic corrugations. Two modes are found to propagate in the proposed double-sided configuration below the hollow-waveguide cutoff frequency: a quasi-resonant mode and a backward mode. This is in contrast to the single-sided configuration, which only allows for backward propagation. Moreover, the double-sided configuration can be of interest for waveguide miniaturization on account of the broader band of its backward mode. The width of the stopband between the quasi-resonant and backward modes can be controlled by the misalignment of the top and bottom corrugations, being null for the glide-symmetric case. The previous study is complemented with numerical results showing the impact of the height of the corrugations, as well as the filling dielectric permittivity, on the bandwidth and location of the appearing negative-effective-permeability band. The multi-modal transmission-matrix method has also been employed to estimate the rejection level and material losses in the structure and to determine which port modes are associated with the quasi-resonant and backward modes. Finally, it is shown that glide symmetry can advantageously be used to reduce the dispersion and broadens the operating band of the modes., QC 20211011

Here, we study the propagation of a twist-symmetric dielectric rod with three different methods: eigenmode solver, multimode Bloch analysis, and scattering parameters of a truncated structure. With the eigenmode analysis, we demonstrate that these structures permit the propagation of circularly polarized modes, and only one of the modes has a stopband in the first Brillouin zone. These results are corroborated with the simulation of a truncated structure, demonstrating that the propagation is only possible for one of the modes at a given frequency band. Finally, the multimode Bloch analysis is used to also characterize the attenuation constant in the stopband., Part of ISBN 978-88-31299-02-2QC 20210830

We present the design of a geodesic Luneburg lens array antenna. The water drop lens is a compact and highly-efficient alternative to the planar Luneburg lens. Our proposed lens antenna is able to steer 110 deg in azimuth with negligible scan losses. On the other hand, the linear array of four elements increases 6 dB of directivity in elevation. A feeding network composed by a 1:4 power splitter and four different phase shifters allows to steer 60 deg in elevation., Part of proceedings: ISBN 978-88-31299-02-2, QC 20230117

Glide symmetry in periodic structures introduces several advantages such as low dispersion, wider stopbands, and higher levels of anisotropy. Here, we propose the use of glide symmetry in dielectric-filled corrugated rectangular waveguides. The operation of these filled waveguides is studied by means of a multimodal transfer-matrix approach that carries out a Bloch analysis of the corresponding unit cell to obtain the dispersion diagram of the structure (both the phase shift and the attenuation rate). In this specific configuration, glide symmetry is found to provide a wider backward passband below the cutoff of the non-corrugated housing waveguide. © 2021 IEEE., Part of proceedings: 978-1-7281-4670-6QC 20220819

La banda de frecuencias de ondas milimétricas (MMW), caracterizada por una elevada atenuación atmosférica y un gran ancho de banda disponible, se ha convertido de gran interés para aplicaciones de imágenes de radar de alta precisión. El desarrollo continuo de la tecnología de circuitos de microondas monolíticos integrados (MMIC) da lugar a la aparición de diferentes transceptores de radar comerciales (COTS) en esta banda de frecuencia, donde las antenas están totalmente integradas en el chip para evitar pérdidas en el sustrato. Las lentes se utilizan para corregir el frente de fase de estos chips mejorando la directividad y, por tanto, el rango de funcionamiento. Las lentes geodésicas, que pueden ser construidas utilizando sólo metales, ofrecen las propiedades atractivas de las lentes dieléctricas comunes sin sus pérdidas en el metarial. En este trabajo de fin de máster se ha diseñado una antena del tipo lente geodésica específica con propiedades de enfoque para mejorar las capacidades de imagen de radar del transceptor TRA-120-002 que trabaja en la banda ISM de 120 GHz. Se ha hecho un estudio de diferentes transiciones para los puntos singulares de la antena, minimizando reflexiones sin aumentar las aberraciones en la lente. En el trabajo se muestra un diseño optimizado de la apertura de la antena donde se utilizan corrugacions para mejorar el diagrama de radiación. Se ha diseñado también una pequeña antena de apertura con una metasuperfície de pines periódicos para maximizar la transmisión de energía entre el transceptor COTS y la lente. Finalmente, se ha añadido una metasuperfície basada en agujeros con simetría deslizada para evitar fugas entre las placas de la antena debido a posibles limitaciones en su fabricación. Los resultados muestran que se puede conseguir una antena de tipo lente de 5l de radio totalmente metálica con directividad superior a 19,5 dB y niveles de lóbulos secundários (SLL) entre -10,5 dB y -9,2 dB dentro de la banda de 119 GHz - 125,5 GHz, La banda de freqüències d'ones mil·limètriques (mmW), caracteritzada per una elevada atenuació atmosfèrica i un gran ample de banda disponible, ha esdevingut de gran interès per a aplicacions d'imatges de radar d'alta precisió. El desenvolupament continu de la tecnologia de circuits de microones monolítics integrats (MMIC) dona lloc a l'aparició de diferents transceptors de radar comercials (COTS) en aquesta banda de freqüència, on les antenes estan totalment integrades al xip per evitar pèrdues en el substrat. Les lents s'utilitzen per corregir el front de fase d'aquests xips millorant la directivitat i, per tant, el rang de funcionament. Les lents geodèsiques, que poden ser construïdes utilitzant només metalls, ofereixen les propietats atractives de les lents dielèctriques comuns sense les seves pèrdues en el material. En aquest treball de fi de màster s'ha dissenyat una antena del tipus lent geodèsica específica amb propietats d'enfocament per millorar les capacitats d'imatge de radar del transceptor TRA-120-002 que treballa a la banda ISM de 120 GHz. S'ha fet un estudi de diferents transicions per als punts singulars de l'antena, minimitzant reflexions sense augmentar les aberracions a la lent. En el treball es mostra un disseny optimitzat de l'obertura de la antena on s'utilitzen corrugacions per millorar el diagrama de radiació. S'ha dissenyat també una petita antena d'obertura amb una metasuperfície de pins periòdics per maximitzar la transmissió d'energia entre el transceptor COTS i la lent. Finalment, s'ha afegit una metasuperfície basada en forats amb simetria lliscada per evitar pèrdues entre les plaques de l'antena a causa de possibles limitacions en la seva fabricació. Els resultats mostren que es pot aconseguir una antena de tipus lent de 5l de radi totalment metàl·lica amb directivitat superior a 19,5 dB i nivells de lòbuls secundaris (SLL) entre -10,5 dB i -9,2 dB dins de la banda de 119 GHz - 125,5 GHz mentre que l'antena focalitza a 30 cm., The Millimiter Wave (mmW) frequency band, characterized by a high atmospheric attenuation and wide available bandwidth has become of big interest for high accuracy radar imaging applications. The continuous development of the Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit (MMIC) technology yields to the appearance of different commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) radar transceivers at that frequency band, where the antennas are fully integrated into the chip. Lenses are being used to correct the phase front of those MMIC improving the directivity and therefore the operating range. Fully metallic geodesic lenses offer the attractive properties of common dielectric lenses without their material losses. In this master thesis, a specific water-drop geodesic lens antenna with focusing properties has been designed to enhance the radar imaging capabilities of the theTRA-120-002 transceiver working at the 120 GHz Industrial, Scientific and Medical (ISM) band. Different transitions for the antenna singular points have been studied to minimize reflections without increasing aberrations in the lens. An optimized design of a radiating flare is shown where corrugations are used to improve the antenna radiation pattern. A small feeding horn antenna with a bed-of-nails Electromagnetic Band-Gap (EBG) metasurface has been designed to maximize the energy transmission between the COTS transceiver and the lens. Finally, a glide-symmetric holey metasurface has been added to prevent leakage between the antenna plates due to manufacturing limitations. The results show that a fully metallic folded lens antenna with 5l radius can achieve directivities higher than 19.5 dB and side-lobe levels (SLL) between -10.5 dB and -9.2dB within the 119 GHz - 125.5 GHz band while having an image point located at 30cm from the antenna.