This paper presents a distributed radar system architecture designed for sensing applications above 100GHz. The proposed radar system leverages high-gain lens arrays to generate extremely narrow beams, enabling high angular resolution. A hybrid beamforming approach is proposed in both the transmitter and receiver arrays, allowing for continuous scanning across a moderate field of view. Additionally, an ideal estimation of radar range is conducted assuming a simplified radar equation for this architecture, showing its potential to detect targets at very long distances.

In this work we present a fully electronic lens phased array that can continuously scan a moderate field of view of 18° with an angular resolution of ~1°. The fabricated lens array along with its preliminary measurement results are presented in this paper.

The use of lens arrays in (sub)-millimeter sensing and communication applications will enable the development of integrated antenna front-ends with multiple independent beams as well as dynamic scanning capabilities. In applications such as MIMO communications, interferometric arrays, and Tx/Rx duplexing capabilities, a key parameter is the mutual coupling between the integrated antenna front-ends. In this work, we model such mutual coupling using a geometrical optics (GO) technique combined with bi-directional forward ray tracing. In this model, the mutual coupling is estimated by considering up to secondary reflections in lens array geometries. The proposed technique is then used to investigate the mutual coupling for low and high-density lens arrays as a function of feed locations. The accuracy of the model is also investigated in comparison to full wave simulations and measured data reaching a sufficient agreement to identify the regions within lens arrays with critical mutual coupling levels.

Future applications in sensing and communications at (sub)-millimetre wavelengths will benefit from having large integrated coherent arrays. The use of lens arrays will enable the fabrication of integrated antenna front-ends with many potential independent beams as well as dynamic scanning capabilities. For applications such as MIMO communications, interferometric arrays and Tx/Rx duplexing capabilities, a key design parameter can be the mutual coupling between the integrated antenna front-ends. In this contribution we model such mutual coupling for lens antenna arrays using Geometrical Optics technique combined with a bidirectional forward ray-tracing. The validation of the methodology against full wave simulations is also presented here.