Scanning Lens Phased Array Antennas: Analysis, design and demonstrations at millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths using leaky-wave feeds

Millimeter- and submillimeter wave applications, such as point-to-point wireless communications in beyond-5G scenarios, long-range automotive radars and astronomy and astrophysics science cases from space require antennas with high-gain beams that are steerable. At lower (microwave) frequencies, fully sampled phased arrays with thousands of...

High Accuracy Pointing for Quasi-optical THz Mixer Arrays

We report a high accuracy pointing technique for quasi-optical hot electron bolometer (HEB) mixers in focal-plane arrays designed to operate at 1.4, 1.9, and 4.7 THz. The high accuracy pointing is achieved by prealignment of a HEB chip to a lens, measuring the angular error of each mixer in an array assembly, and then realignment of the chip...

First Demonstration of Dynamic High-Gain Beam Steering With a Scanning Lens Phased Array

We report on the first demonstration of dynamic beam steering using a scanning lens phased array. A scanning lens phased array relies on a combination of mechanical and electrical phase shifting to dynamically steer a high-gain beam beyond the grating-lobe free region using a sparse array. These two concepts have been demonstrated separately in...

Steering light in fiber-optic medical devices: a patent review

Introduction: Steering light is relevant to many medical applications that require tissue illumination, sensing, or modification. To control the propagation direction of light beams, a great variety of innovative fiber-optic medical devices have been designed. Areas covered: This review provides a comprehensive overview of the patent...

Design and Proof-of-Concept of a Matrix Transducer Array for Clamp-on Ultrasonic Flow Measurements

Common clamp-on ultrasonic flow meters consist of two single-element transducers placed on the pipe wall. Flow speed is measured noninvasively, i.e., without interrupting the flow and without perforating the pipe wall, which also minimizes safety risks and avoids pressure drops inside the pipe. However, before metering, the transducers have...

Free-Space Multi-beam Optical Communication Terminal Design for Spacecraft

Contemporary optical communication terminals are capable of higher data rates, over longer distances for less power compared to traditional radio communication terminals. As of writing, these terminals are almost exclusively single beam compatible. This thesis describes dedicated multi-beam terminal with COTS components. The design study used a...

Dielectric Gratings Enhancing the Field of View in Low Dielectric Permittivity Elliptical Lenses

Low relative permittivity plastic elliptical lenses in combination with integrated focal plane arrays are a promising solution to be used in the future mm- and sub-mm-wave systems. Their appeal lies in the availability of materials with moderate loss and lightweight, and the possibility to use cost-effective manufacturing techniques. However,...

Finite element method for 3D optical modeling of liquid crystal on silicon spatial light modulator

Accurate optical modeling for design and optimization of liquid crystal on silicon spatial light modulators (LCoS SLMs) is important for phase-related applications. Traditional matrix method cannot accurately predict the optical performance when the LC distribution is complex, therefore the rigorous finite element method (FEM) is preferred....

Design of a deep sea LiDAR system: Beam steering design

Though several sensors are available for underwater scanning and ranging, they all have their limits. SONAR sensors are limited in resolution, and scanning mechanisms using a form of light for carrying the data suffer from high attenuation in turbid waters. <br/> <br/>The goal of this project was to design a LiDAR system that is capable of...

TD Radiation Properties of Array Antennas Composed of Pulsed Electric-Current Excited Elements

A full time-domain analysis is presented of the radiation properties of array antennas composed of identical, mutually translationally shifted, pulsed electric-current excited elements. An expression is derived for the radiated field in the farfield region, the parameters in which provide the basis for studying the pulsed-field beam-shaping and...

Studies in Physical Optics: Coherence Theory and Surface Plasmons

Implementation of polarization agility in planar phased-array antennas by means of interleaved subarrays

A method for ensuring polarization agility in conjunction with beam steering in planar array antennas is proposed. It relies on interleaving two subarrays with orthogonal, linear polarizations that, together, can generate arbitrary polarization states: adjustable linear, elliptical, and left- or right-handed circular. The complexity of the...